Hair as white as SNOW!
by MyRegardstothereader
Summary: My name is Malli, and my story starts the day my father, Jiraiya died, and I realized my destiny. I wanted to be free and become as smart a ninja as my father! I will win this war, just to prove that I am not only a good daughter, but a worthy ninja!   GaaraXOC later on
1. It started with the death of a frog!

**_Hair_ as white as _SNOW_!**

**A **Naruto fanfiction.

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine, but Malli Elliku and her thoughts are mine

* * *

><p>My life began when I was born in the middle of summer, a blistering hot day that my mother spent 10 hours in steaming hot agony and labor. The sun was boiling in the sky in the middle of the land of rivers, the water was running warm and there was so much humidity in the air, it could suffocate the whole country. Then my screams broke my mother's screams, and my mother's white haired nightmare was born.<p>

However, my birth isn't when my story began.

If you're reading this, then my novel is at least in the hands of someone who is reading it. Hopefully you'll read this entire novel and not just throw it aside. It might not be worth much, and my life is just one story, but it's an important one. I believe so, at least.

My name is Malli Elliku, I'm 16 and 3 months. The month's part isn't really important to anyone but me, but you should know my age.

My story actually starts the day my mother's pet frog died.

~!~!~

"Malli, come get your toys up off the floor and clean the damn living room for once. Damn, you're useless!" My mother snarled from the kitchen, washing off the table. As per usual, my mother was angry and cursing up a storm as she tirelessly cleaned the house from top to bottom. It wasn't that we had guests, or were expecting something big to happen, but it was Tuesday. Mother cleaned on Tuesdays. I loathe Tuesdays.

"They're not toys, they're Kunai! If I'm going to become a ninja, I need to practice with Kunai." I growled from the front porch. The front door was wide open; to the rickety porch I stood on, standing my ground. I just needed to hit the tree once and I would feel accomplished. I was getting better; my aim wasn't as atrocious as before, I was just inches from just grazing the tree. Today would be the day, I would hit the tree! If I could hit the tree, I could go ask the local ninja to train me. Their only requirement was one able to hit a tree square on with a kunai and have it stick. I just had to do it once!

I readied myself, I pulled back slightly, and I was about to let it fly when my mother decided this would be the best time to scream-

"MALLI ELLIKU GET YOUR WHITE HAIRED ASS IN THIS HOUSE AND CLEAN UP YOUR MESS. IF I HAVE TO COME FETCH YOUR ASS, YOU'RE GOING TO BE FUCKING SORRY!"

My kunai whizzed and smacked right into the dirt, just barely nicking one of the in grown roots.

"Damnit!" I hissed. With the stomp of my foot, I stormed inside and stared right at my mother, "I almost had it!" I exclaimed, hands in the air.

"You're never going to be a ninja, Malli, you have no aim, no concentration and no organization. There, not pick up your toys before I step on them!" My mother snarled at me. Furrowing my brows, I huffed and stormed to the table where all my kunai laid harmlessly waiting for me to throw them.

"Maybe I should throw them at you; we'll see how bad my aim is then!" I screamed at her. I stomped towards the stairs, stopping at the bottom step. "I bet if I was aiming for you, I'd hit my mark!" I screamed again, watching my mother who scrunched up her face in a snarl.

"GOOD! HIT ME! Maybe then I wouldn't have to see this fucking mess you always seem to make. Maybe if I was dead, you'd learn to be more appreciative OF YOUR ELDERS AND RESPECT YOUR FUCKING MOTHERS WISHES!" She screamed back at me, chucking a wet, dirt covered rag in my direction. I jumped up three steps, sticking my tongue out at my mother and storming up the stairs as loudly as I could. I wanted her to hear my hatred as I turned to my room that was next to the stairs and kicked open my door. I watched Naruto, my mother's pet frog, ribbet loudly in surprise and hope fast around me and down the stairs.

"MOM, YOUR DUMB ASS FROG HAS BEEN IN MY ROOM AGAIN!" I dumped my kunai into the small box I had set up to hold all the weapons. I didn't hate frogs, actually they were nice creatures that were fun to play with, but this one was my mothers. I hated that dumb frog, because she treated the frog better than she treated me. She at least smiled at the frog and said she loved the frog. I could hear her talking to Naruto like it was her real daughter and I was the ugly brown toad in the house with no use.

I sighed and slid onto my bed, looking to the mirror on the back of my door.

My brilliantly white hair was near glowing in the sunlight, and I couldn't help but smile as I ruffled it a bit. My hair was the only thing I had gotten from my father, and I loved it so much. With the thought of my father, I looked to the only living photograph I have of both of us, in which I was sitting on a park bench, writing and he was sitting beside me, looking over it. The town journalist gave it to me to remember the moment by… No one knew that the man who was sitting beside me in that photo was my father… not even my father.

I sighed, not touching the photo frame before looking to the mirror again. That's when a large crash rang through the house, the whole house was silent.

"MALLI! MALLI!" My mother cried out and I jumped to my feet as quickly as I could. I grasped a kunai out of habit and forced myself out the door and slid down the hand rail of the stairs. I came rushing around the corner to the kitchen, expecting my mother to be fighting off some attacker. But instead, I found her crying a river down her face, unable to breathe steady as she looked to the frog on the floor.

Naruto was choking on air, panting on the floor, legs sprawled out. His brown and green skin was turning white as it began to stop breathing.

"GO GET A VET!" My mother cried out and I wasted no time rushing from the kitchen to the porch. I was flying down the stairs, stumbling as I hit the ground and nearly fell. I gained as much balance as I could, running across my yard as fast as I could. I needed to find a vet and fast. Only, I stopped for some reason.

I stopped running for a reason and turned, looking to my house. There through the front door I saw my mother sitting on the floor, crying as she held onto the frog, weeping. But it wasn't the frog she was crying out the name of.

"Jiraiya! No, you can't die! NO!" She cried out, hugging the frog. "No, you were supposed to come back…"

It felt like a bullet hit me in the chest as I fell to the ground. My knees collapsed as I fell, my eyes instantly going blurry. I could feel the tears coming hard and fast, burning my skin as I watching my mother drop the frog on the floor and curl up into a ball, bawling to her. I was about to do the same. My chest felt like someone had punched me with some knife and every time I took a breath, was twisting it.

I couldn't breathe as my hands shook and I ran my fingers through my hair and laid myself down onto the harsh, rocky dirt.

Jiraiya, the legendary sannin, died because an akatsuki member named Pain beat him in battle, letting his body fall to the depths of the sea where no one would ever find him.

Jiraiya, the toad sage and writer, was my father… and now, he will never know it.


	2. Traveling is more fun in pairs!

**_Hair_ as white as _SNOW_!**

**A **Naruto fanfiction.

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine, but Malli Elliku and her thoughts are mine.

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT FOR THE WHOLE STORY!

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><p>Chapter two:<p>

"Malli, you're not allowed to leave, what are you doing?" My mother's voice was harsh and cracked as I stuffed more items into my back-pack. I had one knife hidden on my thigh, one kunai resting against my lower back and one on the side of my pack. I was wearing my traveling dress, it had a tan leather strap across the stomach and two leather straps connected and tied behind my neck, a tan headband holding my ruffled, messy white hair out of my face. My mother was standing in the doorway as I tightened the strings on my bag and threw it over my shoulder.

"Mother, you've always told me you've never wanted me anyway… I thought this would make you happy! Now you can get another pet frog…" I hissed, not daring to look at her. She didn't know I had heard her crying for Jiraiya. She always told me that he left her the frog as a reminder that he loved her, but I knew it had to have another purpose. Why would she say he was dead when the frog died if it didn't have some kind of jutsu on it? I had to know…

I needed to see my father. He couldn't be alive; by the way my mother seemed so lifeless since Naruto died. There had to be a connection.

"Malli, you're too young. You'll get killed and I'm not paying for your funeral… you're not allowed to leave, you're staying here!" My mother snarled, stepping into the room. I could see her reaching for my arm, as if to drag me to do her will, but I jumped, knocking the empty picture frame onto the floor. The sound of glass shattering was the only sound in the house as I looked right at my mother. My eyes were red and puffy from crying, hers were just as red and puffy.

"I'm not going to let you continue to force your shit down my throat. No one knows I'm his daughter, no one even knows I exist. Just let me exist, let me be free! If you have one shred of love for me in your cold, soulless body, let me go!" I spoke, holding my hands to my side to keep from throwing them in the air. I hoped that someone was watching me from above and would allow some emotion in her baron heart. Breathless, I watched my mother glare at me before turning to my door way and stomping from the room. I let out a sigh of relief, I would be let go to live my life. I was finally able to be free from this place. Jiraiya, he may never know it, but he did bless me with something without knowing he did it. He gave me freedom!

My mother stopped at the top of the stairs and looked at me from the top of the stairs.

"Fine, leave if you want to, but don't you ever come crawling back here. Once you leave, there will be no home for you to come back to." She turned from me and headed from the stairs to her room down on the first floor. I watched in silence as she walked into her room and shut the door. I waited a moment before looking to my room. My single size bed was cream colored with random splashes of near transparent color, my walls ivory eggshell colored and mostly bare except for pictures of me at random stages of my life.

My floors were empty for the clothes that I wore the most were in my pack along with all the money I had to my name, any food I could scavenge without my mother noticing. I took a breath and looked to the pouch on my hip which had half my money and the picture. The only picture I had of us. My fingers danced above the plastic picture before I stepped from my room and shut my door. I made sure to make as little noise as possible as I snuck out the front door and took a deep breath. Free Air.

~!~!~

I was headed for Konoha. That's where my father was born and raised, and where he was made a ninja. I wasn't going to go around announcing who I was, no one would believe me. But I atleast could know my father and grace his existence by being a ninja. As great as he was, I would train to be just like him.

My eyes looked to the sky. It was blue and the clouds flying through it were fluffy and like little, well-kept sheep. I felt a smile on my face, finally able to smile since a long time. My chest hurt but I was smiling. It was an accomplishment. I looked to the long road ahead of me, pulled my bag closer and put more pep in my step. I wasn't going to get to konoha in one hour of walking. I knew it was atleast a day, maybe a day and a half of walking. I had traveled with my mother once for Christmas. It was long, and the trip felt like it took forever, but it wasn't more than a day and a half.

Good thing I only owned ninja sandals, or else I wouldn't have shoes to make it all the way to the city hidden in the leaf.

"Hey, Girlie!"

I slowed down, looking over my shoulder as a man traveling towards me. I cocked a brow up at him as he came walking up beside me and looking down at me.

"Where is a little girl going all on her own with such a big back-pack?" He asked, looking at me. He wore a big brown coat and dusty black pants. His hair was greasy and he had a big scar across his right cheek. This man, if I had ever seen one, would look just like a mugger. But he walked along side me without any qualms, or want to shank me and take all my belongings. That would just set off my adventure with a great start.

"I'm going to Konoha." I expressed with a smile. Hopefully if he liked my honesty and smile he wouldn't take my money. It wasn't much but it was all I had and I liked eating! I watched him eye my face before bursting out into laughter.

"Calm your jets, girlie, I might be homeless, but I ain't about to rob a little girl. Besides, I don't rob people, I gets myself a job when I need some more money, I bounce from town to town you see. I'm traveling for the sake of traveling… writing down my thoughts and adventures in my journal. Gonna publish it right before I die!" He smiled right at me. I could actually feel the warmth of his smile as I watched him talk on about his plan. That's when my hand instinctively went to my pouch and grasped the picture. I pulled it out and held it to my heart as the man talked.

The hour that he spoke, I had never been more fascinated in my life. This man had been to all the countries at least once and intended to go one more round around before settling down and publishing his book. He explained the forests of the leaf, the desert of the wind, the beautiful cliffs in the land of lighting and the waterfalls in Yugakure. This man had been all over the world, traveled everywhere and explored everything.

"So, what's your name? That way I know to keep my eye out for your book." I spoke breathlessly. We had traveled far beyond where I was familiar, but I didn't feel lost as all.

"Taki, and yours little girl?"

"Malli…" I spoke, putting out my hand. Taki shook it, and I saw all the scars and roughness the traveling had done to his hands. At the sound of my name, I watched the smile on his face slowly fade and a look of depression spread on his face. I cocked a brow at him and let go of his hand, taking a step back.

"Malli huh?" He stated, furrowing his greasy brows. "I knew a man who always talked of a Malli…in fact, you have the same snow white hair as him, and those silly black lines on your eyes. Funny, your eyes are green… his were black…"

I stopped walking and watched the man swiftly take a few steps in front of me. Taki's attitude completely changed as he looked right at me, narrowing his eyes like daggers. I couldn't breathe, my hand instinctively going for the Kunai on my back.

"Now, I always promised never to hurt little peoples… but, you, you're different. I guess I've got to make the exception at you… sorry Malli, it's nothing personal." Taki clenched his hands into his coat pocket and pulled out two large knives I had never known were there. My heart skipped beats as I tried to take steps back but my body only shook. I looked to the man glaring right at me. He meant to kill me!

"NO! PLEAS-"

I lost ability to speak when he came rushing forward and knocked me breathless, 5 feet back. I rolled and skidded across the dirt. I could feel the rocks break open the skin on my cheeks and I saw flashes of red as I came to a stop on the ground. My eyes flickered between the small traces of blood all over the dirt and Taki standing panting not but a few feet from me now. He was seething, like I had murdered his wife. Panic hit my veins like acid, it hurt to lay there looking to this man.

I couldn't help but think back to my leaving home. Had I just waited another day, thought it through, I wouldn't be in this predicament. I wouldn't have met Taki at all. A normal Mugger I could handle, I had some fighting ability, but Taki. He had strength and obvious Ninja training. I was still just a regular girl with a sharp knife digging into her back. With a jolt of air, I ripped it off my back and rolled from the spot just to dodge another charge from the traveled man. Scrambling to my feet, I held onto the kunai tight with one hand and didn't dare look backwards. I know, the second I look back I'm going to trip and I'm going to die.

I didn't dare cry, because if I cried I would wimp out and fall over. No, this man intended to kill me, no time to cry about my life. However, despite all my thoughts telling me to do as I was thinking, the stupid horror film girl mind came in and my eyes looked over my shoulder.

Wrong move.

My eyes caught Taki's now black eyes, and they flashed with anger as he saw me looking to him for a fleeting moment. I let out a yelp and leapt to go faster, his knife coming for my shoulder. Hell! DAMN! FUCK! SHIT!

"WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME!" I screamed, purposely dropping to my knees and tumbling. I took the pain of a large rock stabbing me in the shin just to roll off towards the grass on the side of the trail. My head spun as it collided with the harsh dirt, the wetness of the grass soaking my shoulder. I already had dirt stains, grass was beginning to add to the multiple colors on my dress. Blood drops were all over the front as I wiped my cheek and looked up from the muddy earth to the man running at me.

Rolling onto my stomach, I scratched myself off the dirt and darted for the other side of the trail. How pathetic I must look, but the best offense I had was to tire the old man out and run for my life. I took a look over my shoulder just to drop and roll again as Taki lunged for another blow.

"Hold, still, girlie!" He hissed. I attempted to roll away but his boots came colliding with my side. I hissed in pain as fire and heat shot through my side. What did he have in his boots? Cement? It felt like a giant rock came swinging at me. I didn't hear a crack, but the pain coming from my rib cage felt like it was broken. I suddenly wished I had a reference of broken bones to know if it was broken or just in pain.

Gasping for air, I put one hand on the harsh gravel and one on my now panging rib cage.

"Why? Why are you doing this!" I whimpered. The traitorous tears were finally blurring my vision. Yup, I'm dead! I had done everything the girls in the movies do to get killed. I looked back, I asked why, I cried, and I had no ability to defend myself. I clenched my eyes shut in pain. Gritting my teeth, I tried to get up, but the pain in my side yanked at my muscles and kept me from moving.

Taki stood tall beside me, his knifes directed at me.

"Like I says, nothing personal… just, business…" He stated. "Its one of my jobs, Malli. It keeps my travels working and keeps me from getting in any trouble."

"But…" I trailed, forcing my eyes to look at him. Gulping hard on the pain, my arm shook from the weight of my body and the pain of the gravel scratching at my palm. How did I ever think I could be a ninja? I have no tolerance for pain! OH HELL THAT HURTS!

Tears trailed down my cheeks, I began to take shallow breathes while looking at this man. My tears weren't going to sway his judgment. His eyes were narrowed on me and locked in for my death. I was still a child, thinking that crying and begging would keep him from stabbing me to death. He took a deep breath as pulled his knives back, and I closed my eyes. This was it… my death.

"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

As the voice of the person entered my ears, a Knife ripped through my right side. The poor soul who atleast tried to save me was too late. The searing hot pain hit me, forcing me onto my back, crying out in pain. The knife was not in my side, but it felt like it was. I could feel it stabbing me over and over, a pain unlike anything before. Adrenaline pulsed through my forehead, making my vision black as my arm began to get covered in my sloppy, warm blood.

"SOMEONE! MEDIC! WE NEED A MEDIC!"

I cried out even harder, clenching down on my side, unable to keep my eyes open but for one more second. A blond woman stood above me, a knife in the throat of Taki and forcing in in further. I couldn't keep my eyes open longer than to see her looking down at me with worry. I couldn't help but notice her head band across her forehead.

Huh…. A Sand ninja... My vision went black.

As did my thoughts.

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><p>Author's Notes: Here is the second chapter, hope yal enjoy! Thanks kid23jk7 for being the first to review.<p> 


	3. Waking up to a pain in your neck!

**_Hair_ as white as _SNOW_!**

**A **Naruto fanfiction.

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine, but Malli Elliku and her thoughts are mine.

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT FOR THE WHOLE STORY!

* * *

><p>Chapter three:<p>

"Hello? Hello in there…."

A voice drifted into my head as I groaned and moved my head. Worst idea I had ever made, my whole body woke up to sharp painful waves bouncing off my bones and ripping into my muscles and organs. I would have cried out but my throat was drier than the desert and my eyes were the same. I had no moisture in my body at all.

"Gaara, don't worry, she's alive."

The sound of a sigh passed around me as my eyes began to flutter. Light was trickling through my dry lids into my eyes. All I saw were blurs and shifty movements. Shadows of what I expected to be humans, but the world was still sort of swirling, like I wasn't actually in my body. Taking in a deep breath, the world began to clear, but I didn't feel attached to my burning body. I was in all this pain, but I couldn't feel my neck or move my fingers.

"She doesn't look so hot."

"She's a civilian and went head to toe with an S ranked criminal. What did you expect her to look like Kankuro!"

"Temari, calm your words. She's just waking up, you don't want to make her hurt more than she already does." The voices began to associate with blobs of color. The blond was the one who saved me, she was the one growling at a dark boy, thing with cat ears. Maybe he wasn't a boy after all. I would have focused my eyes, but I could seem to get them to work.

"Owww…." I managed to mumbled, my fingers still betraying me.

"Oww's right, you could have been killed." The blond whispered to me. The picture was clearer than before, I could see her face. But the mode of transportation I was in was still rather blurry. Her hair kept whipping in and out of focus with the wind that nibbled at my numb cheeks.

"Temari." The red haired boy warned.

Wait.

Red hair, white cloak, white and blue hat… I narrowed my focus on his hat on his knees, the symbol, I knew that symbol.

"You? You're… OH MY SKIES YOU'RE THE KAZEKAGE!" I screeched against my cracked throat, my body finally reacting. I jumped in my skin, my head whacking against the side of the caravan, my feet wheeling and folding uncomfortably under my panicked body.

"Catches on quick!" The brown haired boy snickered.

"I… You…. Wha…" I couldn't form words as my eyes searched frantically over the caravan. Usually the kage's didn't travel in caravans, why was this one traveling in one? I didn't get an answer because the moment I thought that, the kazekage turned to the velvet curtain behind him and whispered to the driver. The caravan stopped and I was ushered, jell-o like legs and non-moving arms, out of the caravan.

"We were traveling through; Gaara was meeting some politicians about the water supply in Suna when we saw you about to die. He stopped and we saved you. We are going to take you back to Sunakagure with us." The blond explained.

I eyed her before I was able to gain a breath in my lungs and the words spilled out like water in my mouth.

"I can't go to Sunakagure, which will set me back even worse. Konoha was already a days and a half journey! Besides, walking these roads was bad enough; I can't imagine having to travel through the desert! I would definitely die of my own stupidity!" I exclaimed with gusto, gasping for air to my dry lungs. My whole body felt like a sand storm, my emotions and thoughts wound up with my ability to think and my bodily functions. I couldn't keep up.

That's when Gaara stepped up to me, tipping my chin up a ting and putting a canteen to my lips. My body froze as luke warm water trickled down my throat and soothed my aching lungs and mouth. Just as fast as he had done it, the canteen was gone again.

"Look girlie! You're coming with us weither you like it or not. We're already mostly there, you're miles off course now, and besides, we have to write up an incident report. If you come with us, we'll send you on the next caravan to Konoha, no charge." The brown haired boy spoke.

I eyed him then the blond, then the kazekage. Okay, this had to be bizarre. It's one thing to save my life; it's a whole other to offer me a ride to my destination without any questions asked. If they had to write up a report, they could have just asked me what happened after I awoke, instead of bringing me along. Why would they bother?

"Why are you all doing this for me? You don't even know who I am." I asked, weary of them for the first time. Maybe they were make-believe or copies, they couldn't be real. There would be no plausible reason for them to be acting like this for a civilian of another country they didn't even know my first name.

"Because that criminal, Taki, he's from the sand like us. He is generally not a problem to anyone but anyone associated with the leaf. He hates the leaf, and we, as officials of the country hiden in the sand, need to process you but we can't do that on the road. Just trust us, and take our hospitality without question, alright?" The blond spoke.

"Prove it!" I blurted out.

The blond was taken back by my words, but I stepped back, my hands going for my kunai on my leg.

"I can prove it." Gaara spoke, putting his hands up, and sand rose with him. I watched in amazement and horror as it rose around me and dancing around me like a snake. I gulped and let one hand free to touch it. The sand grazed my skin lightly and touched I softly like baby's skin. I could feel, this sand was true, it wasn't a genjutsu, and it wasn't fake. He was the real Gaara.

"This is Temari my sister, and Kankuro my brother. I promise to you we are not false. Please, come with us. We don't mean to keep you aloof, but we are just as curious about you as you are about us." He whispered.

I hung my head like a scolded child. I was so suspicious of these generous people; I must look like a total idiot and pawn.

I nodded and followed after them, down the trail into the light and warm sand. My hand instantly went to my pouch, my fingers touching the picture with a sigh. Father, I apologize for being so weak!

~!~!~

"Gaara, how can you be so sure it's her! For all we know she could just be a really good genjutsu artist!" Temari hissed across the desk at her red headed brother who looked out the window. Down on the sand, the girl packed her things onto the caravan and looked back up. Gaara bowed his head to her as the girl lowered her head and ducked into the caravan.

"Gaara!" Kankuro snapped his fingers.

"What?" The kazekage hissed.

"Are you sure about her, I mean, absolutely sure?" Kankuro mumbled, eyeing Gaara.

"Even if she isn't this Malli Elliku she says she is, she's riding along with a grain caravan, the worst she could do is steal the grain! Brother, sister, please breathe some air. Since the moment we saved her you've been nothing but suspicious." Gaara groaned, looking to his siblings.

"Because Taki attacked her! He only attacks those associated with the Sannin! We don't even know who she's supposed to be working for! She could be working for Orochimaru!" Temari hissed.

"No, she's not working for orochimaru. I know it." Gaara stated, watching the caravan leave the sandy roads. "Besides, the only reason we kept from just dropping her off at Konoha is the fact they just nearly lost all their citizens! The least I could do is keep her from seeing that. Now she'll be there just in time to help." Gaara spoke, looking back to his papers. There was war coming, the waves of it were rolling into the air. He could feel it. The last thing he needed was to make enemies to him. Hopefully, the girl would remember his kindness and repay him with aid to his country the best she could.

It didn't hurt that she was cute and real. Gaara couldn't help but notice she was real about her emotions, she wore them on her sleeve, her emotions and thoughts were perfectly readable. She didn't have to talk all the time, but she was determined to be who she was, he could see it. With a cock of his brow, he looked to his siblings who sighed and crossed their arms.

"Well then, Kazekage, what would you have us do?"

"Just make sure… she gets to Konoha."

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: Sorry, had a bit of writers block, but here's the third chapter, hope yal like it as well.<p>

For Angelofanime97: It's girl, but thanks! I appreciate it! XD


	4. Fear your leader and your appearance!

**_Hair_ as white as _SNOW_!**

**A **Naruto fanfiction.

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine, but Malli Elliku and her thoughts are mine

* * *

><p>Chapter four: Fear your leader and your appearance.<p>

I jerked from my sleep just in time to see the city limits in ruin. The horror that settled in my stomach almost made me want to puke. I held in the vomit, somehow, and pushed off the caravan as it slowed to the front. My feet hit the gravel like road and instantly I wanted to run away. What had I thought? I could just waltz in and have people like me right away. Their city had been hit by what looked like a bomb, I couldn't do this.

I couldn't do this!

But the picture in my pouch burned at my thigh as tears began to weld up in my eyes.

"Horrible isn't it…" A guard spoke to the caravan driver, his chin nudged in the direction of the city.

The elderly man nodded, a finger pointed to me, "My assistant has wanted to see this city for years, she tells me, and to see it in this shape… what a shame."

A tear began to fall down my face as I covered my mouth. This place, light smoke rose from buildings that I could see, citizens worked on it aimlessly. I could barely hold myself up, I fell to my knees and felt the tears begin their assault on my cheeks. The whole site broke my heart. I couldn't believe it.

"What happened?" I gasped to the guard.

"The Akatsuki… they came with a man named Pein, he took out the whole village…Thank the heavens Naruto saved us."

My heart skipped a beat. Naruto? There is a person named Naruto? I jumped to my feet and jumped to the guard, my hands attempted to dry my eyes.

"Naruto? Really?"

"Yea! Who would have known that nusance of a Jinchuriki would save our skins twice!" The man chuckled, despite my tears. I furrowed my brow at the man who shrugged towards me, "I guess that's what you get when your teacher is Jiraiya"

My heart officially stopped, for atleast 5 seconds. I gasped and turned from the guard. I must look like a mad-woman but I couldn't hold myself. This boy, his name, the frog… my father! I clung to the caravan full of grain and bread for balance. I was about to fall over, I felt woozy and like I could cry. The elderly man smiled at me grimly, he took pity on me. The whole trip he listened to me, chatted with me, and even agreed to give me work while he was in Konoha. He promised he could get me into the labor work-force for a while if I was up for it. Hard work? I was brought up on Hard work.

"Hey, Malli, why don't you head on to the village and tell the Hokage we're in… here, take the scroll." He stated and slid the scroll in my direction. I gulped the lump in my throat and snatched up the scroll. He didn't know the names of my family or the man who attacked me, but the man was a gentle man. He heard the whole story with make-up names, except for Gaara and his siblings. He could probably guess I was ready to fall over just by the site of the city.

"Thanks… I will see you in the town center." I mumbled as my hand slipped a map off the front. I passed the guard who started up more chatter with the man. I held the scroll to my chest and the map out in front of me as I rushed. I wasn't particularly paying attention, my body just kind of moved.

My feet led me down the street then down another. I couldn't feel my heart or my lungs as my feet pounded against the concrete, cracked, street. I dodged workers, wood lifters and heavers. I leapt over a few people, skidded around a corner and darted down another. I rolled under a fallen pillar and felt a smile form on my lips.

I felt like a child, playing ninja in the city. I grinned as I burst from my spot and leapt over another pillar. I landed and kept my pace. I saw a tilted tree against a building, I rubbed my hands and headed for it. Forgotten about my intentions originally, I tucked the scroll and map into my pouch and jumped. Hands down on the tree I lifted into the air and flipped. I would have made a safe landing, except, I didn't account for another person to dart into my way and dead stop.

"WATCH OU-" My words cut in the middle of the statement as my body came in full contact with the other person.

I crumpled to the ground, my body curled into a ball as I flinched, my sides and stomach burned with the sore and pain of Taki's attack. I took a deep breath on the dusty street before I opened my eyes. The girl I had knocked over laid there, she blinked before her head turned to me. I saw the red in her face, the embarrassment and fury that was surely to be taken out on me. However, just as she looked to me, mouth opened to yell, she stopped. Her face dropped as she scrambled to her knees and knelt before me, eyes searched mine.

"Sorry…" I whispered, unsure what to do. The girl just continued to stare at me with a look of disbelief. It was as if she didn't think I was real, that I was really there on the ground. "Um… I'm Malli Elliku. I'm new and I…" I trailed off as the pink haired girl stood up.

"I'm sorry too… I'm Sakura." Her voice was fragile as she continued to stare at me, "You… look like someone I once knew." She stated with uncertainty.

"Well, that has to be wrong. I'm the only person I know with unruly, snow white hair and this weird eye liner thing that is more of a birth mark than actual make-up," I snorted. I pushed myself to my feet before I dusted myself off. I finally let myself look to the girl who looked me over one more time before she laughed lightly.

"Yea… must have been my imagination…" She mumbled.

"I…uh…have to get to the Hokage now, um…have a scroll to give her… Bye…" I turned on my heels and marched away. Nothing like an awkward, almost embarrassing conversation with a stranger to start your first day in a new village. I sucked in my lips and held my breath as I gained a few feet from the girl. I didn't even look back; I didn't want to see her stare. There was a rock in my stomach that told me she knew my father.

Was I really the spitting image? Or was it just the hair?

I fixed my head band, pushing the wild white hair out of my face. I pulled the scroll out and shook the moment off my shoulders. No more messing around, I needed to get to work. I ripped out the map as I passed a street sign and headed for the mountain head. I let my feet lead me down the road as I dodged and evaded the works. As I stepped further into the village, the less damage there was. Not every building was broken, but towards the entrance of the village, almost everything was.

Oh, Father if you saw this, it would break your heart too. Your precious home, your village you worked so hard to protect, destroyed. I felt the heart-break again as the thoughts ran through my mind. My father, Jiraiya was gone and I couldn't save him. I couldn't save anyone! I COULDN'T EVEN SAVE MYSELF!

Taki would have killed me if the Kazekage didn't see me. I would have to send my thanks again. But, I seriously was pathetic. I ran and cried for him to let me live. I was the most pathetic ninja…

I wasn't even a ninja!

I wasn't even qualified to call myself Jiraiya's daughter. I was no ninja, I was no daughter. No wonder mother didn't tell him about me…I was nothing to tell, I was a sad excuse for a child.

For the second time that day, I ran into something. A building just walked right into it and fell promptly on my behind.

"Ooof," I sounded. My eyes wide, I searched around me to see if anyone else had seen me. One boy saw me and smiled at me sympathetically before he jogged down the steps I had just climbed. I shook my head to get my mind back into gear but my eyes only took in the building before me. I let my jaw drop as a woman with two blond pigtail and large breasts stood on a broken roof, a board supported her as she looked right at me.

"YOU!" She snapped, "Are you Malli?" She shouted from the broken like roof.

"Yes!" I called up. I didn't have time to move as the woman jumped from the roof and landed in a thunder before me. The ground actually shook as I laid there with wide eyes and my lungs unable to get air. This was the Hokage, the scary lady who looked barely over 30, if that. She was beautiful and intimidating from just her stance. I gulped down my doubts and my fear as I stood. She looked down at me with a gaze that tore through me.

I wanted to ask her so many questions, I wanted to beg her to give me a sensei, but the words just stayed in my throat. I was a coward.

"You're late… come on, give me the scroll, I have a village to repair."

"Yes ma'am…" I stated and fumbled the scroll out of my chest.

"Return to Mr. Gilbaru, and don't be late, he's a valued trader… also, try not to take out any more of my medical ninja… I need all of them right now, Malli," Her voice boomed just as much as her landing. I stood there in shock before I forced my head to nod and I turned on my heel. Did I really want to be here? The Hokage scared me, I toppled over a ninja, and I wasn't that much of a civilian either.

"Yes Ma'am," I sputtered over my shoulder. I ran my hand over my hair as I looked over my shoulder at the woman. She continued to keep the stare that bore into my soul.

"And Malli," I stopped and fully turned to the woman. "It's Lady Hokage, call me Ma'am again and I will show you what I think of that word."

I felt a bead of sweat began to roll down from my hair-line as I smiled sheepishly. I feared for my life once more as I nodded vigorously.

"Yes Ma…Lady Hokage…" I turned on my heel and marched myself towards the traders post. I wasn't about to mess around with the scariest woman I had ever met who watched me like a hawk!

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><p>Author's Note: I'm so sorry for the long update, took me a long time to get muse. But I do intend to finish this story along with all my others, please be patient.<p>

I LOVE YOU ALL! REVIEW/MESSAGE/TUMBLR ME, I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YAL!


	5. Why don't you cry about it!

**_Hair_ as white as _SNOW_!**

**A **Naruto fanfiction.

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine, but Malli Elliku and her thoughts are mine

* * *

><p>Chapter 5: Why don't you cry about it?<p>

_It was hot, like it always was in summer. I had all my bushy white hair pulled up in a messy bun ontop of my head. I sat in my shorts and tank-top stuck to my warm skin, the sun bore down at me. Mother thought I was mad for being out in the sun but I couldn't help it. I loved to write and out here, no one could tell me I was wrong._

_I had a story, of a young girl who fought against everyone who told her she couldn't and proved that she could. It had monsters and magic, but most of all, it had heart. I was in love with my own works but that didn't matter. I wanted others to love it too. _

_A sigh escaped my lips as I put my pen down in my lap._

_"Writer's block?" _

_I jumped in my skin and looked to the surprise visitor of mine. This was my bench; I was the only person to ever sit on it in the city park. There, sitting beside me was a man with pure white hair, black lines down his cheeks, laughing black eyes and pure, snow white hair. My mouth dropped at him before it flashed to a smile._

_Was it…_

_Could it be…_

_"**Hello my child… my horrible, uneducated, going nowhere, waste of my genes child!"**_

"NO!" I screeched and flung myself from the chair I sat in to the floor in front of me. The pain I gained from the face plant was more than enough to wake me up, but to add more energy, my rather large bag full of awkwardly shaped items lay under me and a book inside jabbed my organs. With a wince, I rolled off the bag and lay on the bare, cold wooden floor.

The old merchant that I traveled with got me a room to stay with a couple other workers. There weren't any beds, but that didn't keep me from sleep. The other workers brought a sleeping pad and a pillow. I didn't think that far ahead. The chair was comfortable enough; I was dead tired to add to it.

I wiped my sweaty forehead, as I tried to get the nightmare from my head. Breathe, I tried to breathe but all the air in my lungs evacuated as I lay on the floor.

For the first time since my father's death, I felt heart broken.

I was not worthy.

I was pathetic.

I wasn't even an actual ninja, I didn't even have what it took to be one.

Tears weld up in my eyes as I looked around the room. It was pitch black, the night took over everything in the wooden room. All the men slept on, light snoring the music of the room. One candle on a glass plate in the middle of the room to provide some light if one must pee in the middle of the night.

I slipped to my feet as gracefully as I could with my stiff body. My eyes caught the moon in the sky and stars that glowed through the window.

"I guess… I haven't slept all that long…"

I needed air. I pulled my bag onto one shoulder and tip-toed towards the door of the worker's house. One step out into the cold air, I could feel my bones crack into place. With a sigh, I stepped into the night and continued through the city that slept. How early was it? Or was it still late? Did it matter?

After I took the scroll to Gilbaru, the merchant/worker/builder/traveler, we both aided with the food and putting up wood for houses. I was successful in building 4 tables, 10 chairs, 4 walls, and 7 frames. I talked with many men, grunted and hammered away with everyone else. For generally everyone, I was just another hired hand. However, there were a few stares at me like I was a ghost. Like I was a freak of nature… or a mistake.

I put my hands to my temples and rubbed them gently.

I need to get my shit together! I need to be a ninja! I NEED TO MAKE MY FATHER PROUD!

"Hello!"

"AH!" I screamed and ripped around, kunai in hand as I faced a boy in tight green. My eyes wide and heart pounding, I stood my ground but my hand shook. "Who are you and what do you want?"

The boy stood tall, eyes blinked and lips drawn tight. His bowl cut swayed in the light night air as he continued to stare at my kunai aimed at his neck. It shook, which might be more dangerous than if I held it still, because I could feel him try to back away. Only, the first thing I noticed in the light of a vacant street was his abnormally large eyebrows.

I couldn't help the next words.

"How did you grow such large Eyebrows?" I blurted out.

The boy looked at me, his thick brows burrowed before they lifted and a smile graced his lips.

"Not sure, actually… I'm Rock Lee, I saw you walking around with a sad look. I thought I could ask what's wrong. It isn't very youthful to frown so hard."

I let the kunai drop from his throat to my hip, my hand still shaking.

"I'm Malli…" I trailed off. I used the back side of my hand to wipe my eyes lightly, the kunai still gripped in my hand. I at least wanted to make sure he wasn't a killer. Last time I trusted a stranger he tried to kill me.

"Miss Malli, what are you crying for?" Rock lee asked. I looked at the dark haired boy, his eyes were a clear look into his soul. He was curious, I could see it, but it was genuine. He stood there, unarmed and with a sympathetic smile. I looked a mess, I could just tell, by the way he looked me over.

I never considered myself a beauty; I didn't have time to work on my beauty. All I had ever cared about was proving me; I just wanted to be a ninja. I wanted it so bad! Tears began to cloud my eyes again as I looked to the black haired boy. The words built up in my mouth as the truth didn't take a moment to ask for my permission.

"All I ever wanted was to be a ninja like my father but I'm pathetic and I have no skill! I just want to make Jiraiya proud and to make me a worthy daughter, to prove to my mother I'm not worthless but I am! I am absolutely worthless!"

I finally broke down.

My knees caved in and my hands fell to my lap, my kunai tumbled to the grass and concrete beneath my knees. I knelt there, my body shook as I let the truth set in. "I'm never going to be able to prove it, because he died before he even knew I was his daughter…"

My eyes looked up and saw absolute astonishment in the boy's eyes.

I had confessed to an absolute stranger, and now the horror set in. He would tell everyone who I was! He would ruin my plan to get better before anyone even knew the truth! I wanted to be worthy of being Jiraiya's daughter before anyone knew the reality, and in a matter of one nightmare, a stupid walk in the city, and a few seconds, I blew the whole plan.

Only, the boy in the green spandex, with huge eyebrows, named Rock Lee, shocked me for the second time that night. He knelt in front of me before he put a strong hand on my shoulder and looked me right in the eyes.

"Malli, will you let me train you! I will make you the best of the best ninja and make you feel worthy of your heritage! I will not only train you, I will keep your secret safe! Please, Miss Malli, let me train you to be a ninja!"

~!~!~

The sunlight hurt my eyes as I stood in the grassy forest across from Rock Lee. He stood tall and firm in his spandex. I still couldn't get over the occurrence last night.

I still couldn't believe I said yes. He walked me to the worker's house and promised to retrieve me the next day for training. I told him I still had a promise to keep with the workers, but would only do light work so I wouldn't be tired for training.

It was past noon and I felt stretched and awake… but not ready.

I was in shorts and a grey ripped t-shirt, the sleeves were ripped off and one corner was ripped that exposed my side. I hid it with my hand, but when Rock Lee told me to put up my hands, his first question was about the spot I hid.

When I was building, the men all had scars, so this scar wasn't that big a thing. One guy made a gesture and told me it was a pretty one, which was funny because it was disgusting. It was curved and purple and jagged. It was the only blemish on my smooth skin. I forgot about it when I was dressed and putting up wood, but now I felt ashamed.

I looked up to Lee and smiled sheepishly.

"Is it alright to ask?"

"It's fine if you ask, but it's not much of a story…not pretty at least…" I confessed. Lee stepped towards me as I put my hands to my side and covered the scar. It ran from the last rib to just above my hip. It wasn't little, nor was it pretty. The story was just as bad.

"I was 8 at the time, and I was a little bit of a punk. I wanted to be this big tough girl, the kind that never backed down. But the truth is I'm a coward because of it… I was in town, and I had all these groceries mom wanted me to carry home. But, when I was on my way home, some of our town bullies who were ninja saw me and decided now was a great time to tease me… I told them to back off and well… they cut me." I explained.

It wasn't as cut and dry as I explained it. They were only passing me when they teased me and tried to take the bags from me. I told them to go away or I'd cut them. They pinned me to a tree and cut me open like a frog on a table. I screamed and passed out. I woke up in my room with my mother screaming at me about the groceries covered in blood and a painful stich in my side.

The bullies got off scotch free.

I got a warning from the leader of our city.

"Didn't your Kage say anything? Are you okay?"

"Lee, there is something you need to understand about me and where I come from." I covered my spot and closed my eyes. "Where I'm from, ninja's are the only reason we survive, the only source of income. So when they decide to hurt someone, they don't get punished. The victim is to blame for bringing it on themselves. There is no light, no good guys, and definitely no happy endings. That isn't the reason I came to Konoha, but it was an attributing factor into why I'm never returning home. Ever!"

Rock Lee looked at me with a confused look. I bit my lip and shuffled my feet awkwardly. The bullies, they were just many of ninja that taunted me and called me a failure. My mother wasn't the only one to call me a loser, but she was the only one I wanted to prove wrong. Those boys, I had forgotten their faces, and I forgot everything they said, but I would never be able to forget what they did. I had a harsh reminder, that I was always just a coward in the end.

I cried out and begged them to let me go. When they stabbed me and sliced my side open, I kicked and screamed, I didn't fight them, I let it happen. I spoke tough, but in the end I tried to run from them when they pulled out the knife.

"You're not a coward…" Rock lee stated suddenly. I looked at him with surprise before I rolled my eyes and slapped my hands on my hips.

"Yes I am!" I scoffed. I wasn't afraid to talk to people, or run around like an idiot, and I definitely was not afraid of hard work. But enemies, other ninjas, I was deathly afraid of dying. I couldn't look death in the eye like my father often did! I just… I couldn't face that fear.

"NO!" Lee snapped and I stood back a moment. He stood firm in his spot as he looked me dead in the eyes. "From this day forward, you will never be a coward! Great ninja's are never cowardly, it is not youthful at all! Today, you are brave!"

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><p>Author's Notes:<p>

ANOTHER UPDATE, FINALLY! I know it's been too long, but here it is. And as requested, I gave alittle history and explaination. More to come soon! Don't give up. Review, Message, PM, Tumblr me.

With Love,

Myreagardstothereader.


	6. My Motto is to not be a coward!

**_Hair_ as white as _SNOW_!**

**A **Naruto fanfiction.

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine, but Malli Elliku and her thoughts are mine

* * *

><p>Chapter 6:<p>

It was late in the day, the sun was still up in the sky but I had finished all my work early. With Rock Lee, the last two days have been hell but worth it. I could lift more, work harder, punch faster, and I actually learned to decently defend myself. Lee was under the idea that one should be able to protect what was important before being able to fight for it. I didn't argue, learning to defend was the first step to my being the best ninja.

The first step to being worthy.

Since I told Lee that one tearful night, he never mentioned my father. All he talked about was him after that incident, not that I minded. He told me about when he was young, when he was a Genin, when he faced the Chunnin exams. Everything, nothing was a secret when we trained. It made it easier; the pain was bearable when he talked. Every pushup went by faster, every mile I ran was not as bad when he jogged beside me with his grin and talked about everyone.

I did, however, ask plenty about two people.

Naruto Uzumaki and Sabaku No Gaara.

"Gaara! He's the kazekage now but we exchange letters every month. I make sure my letter is always punctual; it's the youthful and right thing to do. I know he is always incredibly busy, but somehow he has always found time to write me back within the week….I'm actually about to send off my letter after our training. Want me to add in something from you?" He grinned as I punched at the log. The punches were deeper and more concrete then they had ever been. Tomorrow, there were promises of his past teammate Tenten, who I was told was a weapons expert, swinging by to provide me some tips and help. I felt more like a ninja and it had only been 4 days.

"Actually…yes…" I mumbled as I pulled my hands to my chest, "Can I go run and get it now before I forget. I'll even bolt and time myself for you."

"WHAT AN EXCELLENT IDEA! You have a blossomed ninja mind Malli! I await for you to return, I feel like flips!"

I smiled but flinched internally. Flips were my weak spot, and not necessarily an easy lesson to learn. But Lee promised everything he taught, he would make sure to keep me from becoming injured. I tugged on my ankle weights, as always, and burst from my spot in the forest.

The trip to the workers home wasn't far and it was an easy flat road that didn't hurt. I easily rushed inside, nodded at the workers I knew by names, slapped hands with a few more and skidded into my corner. The entire house knew not to ask about why I wore the weight or what I did when all my work was done, or even why I came home close to pitch black night and passed out right away. But because of my workout clothes and the fact Rock Lee personally came to pick me up (more like call my name and run the second I stepped out to meet him), they figured it was legal and safe.

I told a few of them I just wanted to be stronger and better at my job and everyone knew Lee was a taijutsu master. If anyone could whip my sorry butt into shape, it was him.

I knelt down beside my bag and ripped the few pictures out of my bag and the thank you letter I had written for him. I never actually intended to send it, afraid he wouldn't even read it or care to see the photos. However, if he always read and replied to Lee, he was certain to at least acknowledge mine.

A blush raged my face as I stood up and tucked the items in my small pouch that hung off my waist. I actually cared if he saw everything. It wasn't a bad thing, the Kazekage was a handsome man and powerful, not to mention kind and generous. I wouldn't say I had much more than a crush on him. Who couldn't after Lee talked of the heartbreak moments in his life, the moving life of Sabaku No Gaara was enough to make a girl swoon in heartbroken tears!

My legs burned lightly as I jogged from the house towards the training ground once more. However, I stopped at the sound of a crying child. I didn't know if it was a kid or not, but it was one of those sounds that I knew instinctively. I turned to the city and there was a small boy that dodged into an alleyway, a loaf of bread tucked in his arm. Two larger men followed after.

I knew what had happened without having to ask. The boy was starved, probably orphan, and saw the bread. The hunger drove him to steal; the men caught him in the act. My first thought was to go back to Lee, the men wouldn't dare risk killing him. They would just beat him a bit and call him names then send him on his way.

But Lee's voice dug into my brain like a justified knife.

"_YOU ARE NOT A COWARD!"_

He was right! Just letting it happen, just leaving the kid was the coward way out! I had to be the hero! Malli is no longer a coward! NOT A COWARD!

I bolted for the alleyway just in time to skid in front of the child as a man swung at him with a bag. The blow hit my hip but didn't even hurt or burn. It was nothing compared to letting Lee take shots at me to understand pain and how to block it. I gritted my teeth and stood my ground, I was not a coward. No longer a coward, I threw my arms in front of the child and looked the men in the eyes.

"Girl! Are you stupid or something!"

I wanted to cower and ask for forgiveness, like I would at home. But, these men, they weren't ninja. They were just men! They held no more power than me!

"You two were about to beat up a helpless, starved child and I'm the stupid one!" I snarled. My inner coward was punched in the throat as my new found bravery bubbled. Not a coward anymore, I'm not allowed to be a coward!

"Move! He stole our bread!"

"Yea? Is it your motto to get beat up for people you don't know? Huh?"

I stopped and stepped back, closer to the boy. What was my motto? What did I stand for anyway. Lee told me I was no longer a coward, so, naturally shouldn't my motto be not to be a coward. No, that wasn't good enough. My eyes looked to the dirty boy who dug his face into my shin and held onto my ankle-weights with fear.

"No…" I whispered. Then my eyes shot forward and I forced my arms out harder and stood my ground more firmly. "My motto is to be brave, even if I don't want to! I have something to prove and even if it doesn't matter to you, it matters to me! If I have to save a million kids from idiot bullies like you, I will, if that's what it takes to prove to everyone and myself I'm not a coward. So either back off or I'll make you back off!"

The men glowered at me but I didn't move. I stood there with the child clutched to my legs and the bread teetering between his knees.

"Just give us the bread back and we won't hurt the kid."

I looked down to the small child with a small smile. He looked up at me with tears, but I reached down and took the bread. I let the men take it before I pulled one apple from my pouch on my side. The moment the men were gone I fell to my knees and handed the kid the apple, tears about ready to spill.

"Thanks…" He mumbled as he took a bite from the apple.

"Look, kid… it's not right to steal. Even if you're starving, it's not right…" I groaned. He looked to the apple and slumped as we both knelt in the destroyed alleyway. "But, if you're that hungry, I know a place where there is food all day if you're willing to lend a hand. The food is free and all you can eat if you're willing to work."

The smile on his face was priceless; I thought his head would snap off if he didn't stop nodding. I pulled a pen from my pouch and took his hand. I wiped it clean and scribbled the address and my name. "Tell the people there you want a man name Hoko, he's the one incharge of the minors that help out. Tell him Malli, M-a-l-l-i sent you."

I stood up the best of my ability as the boy rushed from the spot, apple in mouth and hand to protect the scribble on his arm. With a sigh, I ran my hand through my bushy white hair. I could feel it against my lower back as I attempted to tame the white mess right on top of my head.

"So, she's the girl you've been teaching, Bushy Brows?"

I ripped around to see two boys my age, grins in my direction. One was Rock Lee who flashed his sparkling smile and a thumbs up. The other was a blond with bright blue eyes and an orange jumpsuit.

"Malli… this is Naruto Uzumaki!

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><p>Author's Notes: Chapter 6, I'm happy with the events and how it turned out. I'm excited for my next chapter.<p>

Thank you: Chichi4mangaHero and SatsurikuSajira for your reviews, and all of you who favored or even just put on their alerts, thank you for being patient and reading!

with love,

Myregardstothereader.


	7. Sea Legs are not what I have!

**_Hair_ as white as _SNOW_!**

**A **Naruto fanfiction.

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine, but Malli Elliku and her thoughts are mine

* * *

><p>Chapter 7:<p>

"You have mail, Gaara!" Kankuro called over the sound of Gaara furiously shuffling papers. He read then passed them to the other side of the desk to write and sign something else. With the attack on Konoha, the kage sumit, Sasuke's attack, Gaara was beyond busy. They had to send Naruto and Killer B off to an island and there was war upon them. Everything stood as still as a desert sand storm.

"It will have to wait!" Gaara growled, his hand rose to motion Kankuro away.

"It's from Lee and Malli."

Gaara stopped completely and looked up at Kankuro with wide eyes. The brunette grinned like a cat before he handed over the rather large package. Lee had promised to give word of Naruto after the Sumit, his whereabouts and what he was doing as he was prepared to leave. But, more importantly, Malli somehow mailed him. Did Lee become Malli's ally, were they friends? Gaara snatched the package from his brother.

His fingers quickly opened it to reveal not only two completely different letters, but photo's. Gaara pulled everything out and laid them out flat. He dared open Malli's first and was hit with the scent of flowers and forest wood. Her handwriting was fluid and legible, every letter carefully curled lightly.

_Dear Kazekage Gaara;_

_I apologize for all the trouble I put you through, I've been told I caught you on the way back from the Kage's Sumit and you could have let me die. You and your siblings are angels, please pass along my gratitude. Rock Lee found me walking out in the night, in tears regrettably, and somehow he thought he ought to teach me how to fight. I'm becoming a ninja, and I'm incredibly happy but more grateful that you gave me a ride to Konoha. _

_ Even if you do not read this, I'm incredibly glad to have known you if only for a few moments. I do not regret the hot desert sun, however. Konoha is cool and shady from the trees. I guess you being born in the desert makes it tolerable, along with your talents in sand. But, either land is far prettier than my home, thank you again for allowing me to see your country. _

_I have met Naruto Uzamaki, he says hello. He's super excited about everything and I've never seen a human pack away as much ramen as he did the day we first met. Naruto says you're one of his best friends, he's lucky to have the Kazekage as a best friend. I've enclosed pictures of my adventures and of Lee and I training and of Naruto and the whole lot. I've been introduced to everyone in a matter of hours._

_I hope the smell of the workers cabin doesn't over run the letter. _

_Malli _

Gaara placed the letter down and picked up the photos. There were a lot of shots of Lee kicking at Malli and Malli ducking or punching at his leg. Then there were a few of her building, two of her eating next to Naruto, one of Naruto brushing her hair at the same time she was. Gaara chuckled as her face when Lee lifted her like a weight.

"You knew the girl for a day, and you're already obsessing…"

Gaara glowered at Kankuro before he put the photos down.

"I'm not obsessing." He stated as he picked up Lee's letter, "I was merely curious." He scanned through Lee's letter, unable to focus with Kankuro's eyes that bore into his soul. With a sigh, Gaara put the letter on the desk and looked Kankuro dead in the eyes.

"What?" He growled.

"Oh nothing…" He snickered as he turned on his heel and marched towards the door. As Kankuro started to hum to himself, Gaara rolled his eyes and went back to Lee's letter. His brother knew nothing about him. However, Kankuro reminded Gaara of the task at hand. He didn't have time to think of someone else's life, especially someone who wasn't a Suna civilian. He had to ready for war…

~!~!~

I stood on the boat; my hands clenched the side of it as if my letting go would insure my death. I took as deep breaths as I could, but the air only lasted for a second before I gasped for more. Yamato eyed me and he had every reason to.

"Malli, you look green." Naruto blurted out as his hand slapped on my back. I lurched forward and tried not to barf over the side of the ship. Naruto flinched as I stood there and took harsher breaths to maintain my stability. My stomach lurched once more as the boat rose and fell from a wave.

"Really?" I gulped down a little vomit, "I hadn't noticed." I whispered with a fake smile. Naruto laughed at me as he walked down towards the front end of the ship. I wanted to eat my own fingers rather than swallow more vomit, but I didn't have much choice. There was this nasty habit I had acquired, that I swallowed my vomit down without thinking, not wanting to up chuck.

"You sure you can withstand this?" Yamato whispered with his eyes full of concern. I wasn't sure if he was concerned with my throwing up or my throwing up on him. My hand covered my mouth as I attempted to stabilize my stomach.

"Do I have a choice, we're in the middle of the ocean." I mumbled.

"True, but you could have declined to come." Yamato chuckled, his arms crossed as I slid to sit by the side of the boat. I wondered if, for a frog sage, if Jiraiya ever got sea sick. I never liked the ocean. Ponds and lakes, sure, I could stand. If I became too sick I would just jump off the boat and swim to shore. But here, on the open sea, there was no shore. There was nothing but this boat, and I refused to get off.

Father, if you can hear me wherever you are, please make me not sea sick. I laid my head back against the cool of the ship, my head spun. Why had I said yes to Naruto, I had met him in a dark alley after Lee tested my bravery?

Okay, not exactly true. Lee didn't know that the little kid would be chased and almost beaten. But he waited to see if I would stand up for myself or someone else in the time we were training. The little kid was dumb luck on his part.

But then, for hours, Naruto, Lee, and I walked around town. I met Sakura and Shikamaru, and Kiba, and Hinata. Everyone rushed and only stopped for a moment, but for some reason, they stayed a second longer to stare at me. I began to think that I had something stuck on my face, or I had some ugly pimple on my nose. That was until Naruto showed me a picture of him and my father when Naruto was little.

Not only was our hair too similar, but my face, the lines that were etched down my cheeks were identical to his deeper red ones. I had his strong nose and there was just something about the way he stared back. I knew it, people guessed who I was. They didn't believe my appearance; they thought I was the ghost of Jiraiya. Some reincarnation that wasn't worthy of his genes.

I wanted to tell Naruto the moment he showed me the photo. The look in his eyes, the pain and suffering I saw as he put the picture onto his bedside table. But, then he shrugged and walked away before I had a chance. Then, the moment I thought about telling him again, I realized I would ruin it. Jiraiya, the sannin, the sage, one of the greatest sensei's Naruto ever had, would be forever changed if I told him.

If I told him he had a daughter, and the crap ninja before him was that creature. A daughter he never knew, he would just scoff and tell me my worst fear I had come to accept.

I would never-

"OH! AN OCTUPUS LEG!" I jumped as I saw Naruto walk towards the front of the ship. The boat rocked more as I tried to stand. My legs wobbled and my stomach flipped, but I slowly stepped towards my blond friend. Those did not look like an octopus tenticles, they were far too big for any octopus I had ever seen.

"I don't think…"

"A SQUID!"

I screeched as I bolted for the front as a huge tentacle reached up on my side of the boat. My eyes took in the enormous creature that bolted from the sea. I fell to my knees as I looked at it.

I wasn't a coward! So why was I there on the boat, unable to move. Naruto stood, his eyes without fear of the beast. HE COUNTED THE TENTICLES! HE WAS NOT COWERING IN FEAR, HE COUNTED THE TENTICLES AND DEBATED WITH YAMATO OVER THE CREATURE'S ACTUAL NAME! I knelt on the boat, unable to move my legs and my arms shook. I could stand in front of all the bullies I wanted, I could save a child from human men, but this was a squid. A squid the size of two full sized ships.

MAN UP MALLI! I gritted my teeth and lunged towards Naruto, the water splashed hard against my face as I snatched at his arm and held on. The boat swung back and forth as he continued to count. Now, I wasn't sure if Naruto was just playing stupid or if he really was that genuinely idiotic sometimes.

But I didn't get a chance to question it or beg for him to help me attack it. A giant bull faced Octopus rose from the water and I barely held my ground. To our luck, the octopus smashed into the squid. I gasped but regretted it instantly as water splashed into my mouth and instantly made me choke on the high content of salt.

"Yuck!" I choked. I coughed and sputtered as Naruto voluntarily slapped my back once and it all came out. I smiled at him for thanks, but by then, the squid was gone and the octopus landed on the ship, but as a man. A tall, muscular, with sunglasses and a rude look on his face man.

"Hey! Yo, Octopus man, Thanks!" Naruto called out.

"Yea, thanks for scaring the life out of my still beating heart." I grumbled as I let go of Naruto. "I'm going to go puke over the side of the ship now."

* * *

><p>Author's notes: Sorry for the wait for the post, it took me a while to get muse. Hope it's up to par, and Yes, this series is going to go right along with the manga. This chapter is around episode 491492.

Thank you all of you that have reviewed, hope you enjoy the next chapter.

Review/message/tumblr me what you think/questions/concerns. I hear from no one.

With love,

Myregardstothereader.


	8. Determination brought on the faint!

**_Hair_ as white as _SNOW_!**

**A **Naruto fanfiction.

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine, but Malli Elliku and her thoughts are mine

* * *

><p>Chapter 8:<p>

"I hate the sea." I moaned as I laid on the forest floor. Not as much laid on the floor as I was in a fetal position with my head between my knees and side smooshed against a rock and knees propped against a tree. I curled tighter and tighter till I could no longer smell anything but my dirty clothes. I wished for the smell of the sea and the feel of everything rocking to leave me. "I don't care how un-youthful it is to hate something!" I groaned louder to Gai who stood against a tree.

He didn't really stand against it as much as leaned against it weakly and gasped for air. I grinned to myself when I realized he was in far worse shape than I. Eyes closed, I took a deep breath only for my moment of peace to be interrupted by a rather loud and obnoxious croaking sound.

"DAMNIT FROG!" I snarled as I shot forward and glared at the toad in my lap. It stopped dead and eyed me regretfully for a moment before it puffed up and croaked louder. I narrowed my eyes before I snatched my bag that lay discarded beside me. I pulled out a small bag that had dried flies in it and opened it. "I was going to save these for someone special… but a toads gotta eat." I grumbled.

The toad looked to the bag for a moment, his deep black orbs on me then back to the bag. In an instant, the slightly expensive dried flies and the bag it came in was devoured in the flash of an eye.

"Who was going to be the recipient of that?" A man asked as I pulled my bag into my lap, the amphibian hoped away.

"well… I just… Everytime I went grocery shopping, my mother made me by dried flies for her toad. My father gave it to her as a present when he left and she… well, she needless to say treated it far better than me. The toad died just before I left home, and I figured if I was on this huge adventure, the least I could do is bring him his favorite snack if I ever happened to be back home for a moment." I explained with a weak smile.

The truth was, I missed home. I missed praying to be a ninja, frustrating and worthless as my efforts were, they were in a home. I had a home that would always be there. My mother wasn't great, I never knew one day where she even smiled, even dared to say she liked me. But, she was my mother. I would argue with that woman till I died, but that didn't mean I didn't want to make her proud. Her and my father!

Jiraiya… Father I will hold my promise.

"Gai!" I jumped to my feet faster than I had imagined. He jumped his eyes from the ground to me in shock as I steadied myself with my bookbag as an achor. When my feet and stomach were steady, I dropped the bag next to my ankle and put my hands on my hips. "You're Lee's teacher, and I am his student. In his absence, you are the only one able to teach me!" I proclaimed.

He grinned, one of the flashiest and genuine grins that melted my soul just as Lee's had. He put out a thumb and stood straight, his spandex flexed around his arm muscles.

"I wondered when you'd get your fighting spirit that my Rock Lee spoke so fondly of!" Gai chirped.

I stopped to look at him. Lee talked of me? He was my only real friend I had, the one I saw every day and was close to my age. He and I had so many conversations and jokes between us I felt like he may have been my best friend and I had only known him a short while. But it still came as a heart stopping shock to me that he talked about me. Someone actually… knew my name.

They knew about me, and it was a good knowing. I was known to even just one more person than I had before!

I felt my air stop if only for a moment before I gasped, tears welded up in my eyes.

I can't explain how much it meant to me to hear Rock Lee not only talked about me to Naruto, but to Gai and he spoke of my spirit. I didn't even believe in my own spirit and yet, to Lee, it was a fighting spirit. The emotions that hit me like a stone wall was thrown at my body, well they wrecked my soul and body up as I felt my hands leave my hips and wrap around myself.

"He… He really talks about me?"

"He says you have more potential than anyone he's met, you were made to be an amazing ninja but you were not given the chance. Every day Lee mentions something more about you, Malli… it would be an honor to teach you in his absence."

I can honestly say I did not have control over my body when the next movement I made happened.

I flung myself into Gai's arms.

I didn't weep; I didn't cling to him with dear life.

I hugged him and breathed in a familiar smell of pine trees and a well-worn spandex suit.

Did you hear that Dad?

"I have potential…" I whispered as I took a step back from Gai who smiled and waved for me to join him on a jog to gain our land legs back.

I have potential Dad!

I will make you proud!

I darted after Gai with a giant smile on my feet and my sandals tight on my feet.

I will be as smart a ninja as you…

I pulled my hair into a bun as the two of us charged up a hill, my hands and arms welcoming the fresh crisp island air. It was warm and humid but not enough to frizz hair or make it hard to breath, the perfect climate for perfecting a ninja.

I will prove myself!

~!~!~

The one night I stayed on the island was rough. The terrain was bumpy; the trees made creaking sounds, and the ninjas around me snored louder than any team of people I knew. Needless to say, I didn't sleep, so I trained. War was coming, they all said, the Akatsuki were nothing but a cover for the real culprit, they whispered. The ninja that covered Naruto and Bee from the world, that stashed them away on this island, they were buzzing with news and jealousy.

News of the Kage's, news of the troops being gathered, they were nothing if not lippy with me about everything. However, when Naruto came to see me that afternoon, they spoke only to themselves about the weather and the animals.

Now the news of what was happening kept me interested, it was the jealousy that made me proud of all of them. They were jealous they couldn't be holding down the front lines, aiding their fellow man. They didn't care if they fought alongside the Sand or the Water or whoever! They wanted to protect their homes.

That proudness is probably why I couldn't sleep, despite the other aspects that kept me up.

I sat in my own little patch of grass, hands clasped together and eyes closed. Chakra huh? Couldn't be that hard to conjure it up when you've never had experience with it!

LIES AND BULLSHIT!

I scrunched my face and felt as if I mentally squeezed all my organs to try even reach this magical power. I felt the power once before when I was play fighting Lee. I kicked at him hard and hit a tree instead; the power in my leg split the bark and half the tree. So it was beyond frustrating to not be able to reach it now.

"Why… why can't I do this?" I growled, my fingers pushed tighter and I squeezed harder.

"Because you're trying to force the chakra… trust me…" I ripped around and found Naruto standing there on a rock behind me. I smiled sheepishly at the blond and tried to stand. My legs were so tired and worn from training with Gai they wobbled and fell to the grass. Naruto jumped down and knelt beside me as I dusted off my knees and sat in the grass. I looked up to the stars with a huff.

"It's just so frustrating…"

"I know how it feels. You know you can do it you just can't get it to go your way." Naruto whispered. I closed my eyes and put my head in my dirty, grass covered palms. Here he was, the child named after my father's works. The only child Jiraiya probably considered to be his and he wasn't even his. His student, his favorite, I should hate him.

I feel like I should despise Naruto for having my father when I couldn't.

But the one moment when I met my father, the one fleeting time I got to talk with him and live in his glory, not once did he talk about this kid. Not once did it feel like he was thinking of someone else.

And now, as I sat with Naruto Uzamaki, I felt like I was finally sitting down for a family dinner with my long lost sibling.

Emotions threatened to hit me again, but I sucker punched them into the back of my mind. I wasn't about to let them take me over and distract me from my mission. I had to learn how to control my chakra.

"You know… I think I know some people who could help you with your Chakra problems." Naruto smiled. I looked from my dirty hands and furrowed my brows.

"We're on an Island Naruto… who could we possibly get to help helpless me now." I groaned.

"Well, if you're going to talk in that attitude, we might not help you!"

"Yes, we don't take on any disciples that complain… it's either learn or be let go…"

My back went rigid as I turned to my left. There in the grass, the whole time Naruto had been here I hadn't noticed the two figures in the trees. They were short and stout and didn't make much of a distinction in the forest. That was, until they hopped out into the open moonlight and scared the life out of me. I fainted before they could speak again.

Because, there to the side of me were two toads, one female and one male, dressed in clothes and they spoke!

* * *

><p>Author's notes: I finally got the next chapter out. WEEEEEEEEEE!<p>

Hope yal enjoyed it, and thank you for all who followed and favored and especially yal that comment. Seeing your comments tell me I'm actually writing this story well, makes me want to continue to write it. All Constructive criticism or plot ideas are welcome. Please note I want to keep with the original Naruto Manga story line as much as possible, so nothing wildly different. Warning though, I might have to change some battle scenes to give Malli some battle time, but other than that, the outcomes will generally be the same.

With love,

Myregardstothereader.


	9. Self esteem worth building!

**_Hair_ as white as _SNOW_!**

**A **Naruto fanfiction.

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine, but Malli Elliku and her thoughts are mine

* * *

><p>Chapter 9:<p>

"WHERE AM I?" I screeched as my fingers grasped onto the rock edge before me. As I woke up next to the two toads that spoke, my first instinct was to roll away and jump to my feet. Except that when I rolled, I lost all the ground around me to jump up. I swallowed the fear that lumped in my throat and looked up at the toads who bore their eyes down at me.

"Where do you think you are?" The female piped up.

"About to fall to my death in a place that has super sharp rocks at the bottom and toads that talk!" I squeaked as much as I could.

"Yeah, that's pretty accurate." The male laughed.

My fingers stung from the dirt in my open wounds as I made them worse in my attempt to climb up to safety. I didn't have the strength, I could feel the strain in my muscles. "Please help!" I cried out.

I could feel the tears drip down my face as I tried to pull up again but I couldn't. Fear ate at my stomach more, it weighed me down like lead on my feet. I tried to pull up again but I couldn't get the muscle ability to do so.

"Help you? Just pull yourself up!" The male toad croaked at me. More tears sprouted from my eyes as I felt myself weep. I tried to pull up but I couldn't get a grip and the fear of falling dragged me closer to the sharp rocks at the bottom.

"Stop crying! Breathe and get rid of your fear! You can't let your fear affect you!"

I looked to the toads, tears clouding the edges of my sight. Breathe? I was breathing! But when I tried to take a deep breath, I felt breathless. I was too afraid of dying! I couldn't do this!

"Are you or are you not Jiraiya's little girl?" The woman snapped her question at me so harsh it stung to ear it. I bit my inner cheek as I stared at the rocks. I was Jiraiya's daughter! I was born from a brave, intelligent, master of ninjutsu, he could do this cliff. A ninja could pull themselves up easily. I want to be just as great a ninja as my father. I am worthy of being his daughter!

"I AM HIS DAUGHTER!" I cried out, the fear inched away from my feet a little by little as I pulled and yanked. I proceeded to get my palm then the top half of my arm over the edge. I scrapped my skin every inch of the way, clawing my way up on top of cliff. The toads watched patiently as I cried out and grunted with every movement but I made them count. I had to forget fear! Every time it spiked in my stomach, I slipped a little. But I needed to breathe and claw my way onto the cliff.

I reminded myself every inch of the way to the top that I was going to have frog legs for dinner if I made it.

"Ah! There you are, took you long enough!" The male snorted.

I swung my hand and, without meaning to, knocked him off the cliff's edge. I gasped and watched him disappear as the female rolled her eyes.

"About time someone knocked him off his high horse… come Malli, you need a bath…"

~!~!~

"Call me Shima," The woman toad spoke as I pulled on a pair of working shoes. I received the bath she promised. It was horrible! Every cut stung, every scrape screamed, it was as if I put lemon juice on a paper cut and just kept my hand in the bowl of lemon juice. I scrubbed and cried as I scrubbed.

Where was I? Mount Myoboku, and as I looked out at the mountain from my rock formed bath, I found it beautiful. It was glimmering in the mid-day sun, the water flowed from the top crest of a cliff above me. In my bath I stared at the mountain and cried.

It's not strong or tough to cry, but I couldn't stop myself. It wasn't even because my whole body was on fire from cuts and scrapes. It was because this was the mountain my father was trained on, and Naruto was as well. I cried because I woke up and almost died. I cried because my father didn't even have the life to have and be proud of me.

I did this whole thing to prove I was worth it, and he wasn't here to see it.

"Shima…" I whispered as I tucked a damp strand of white hair behind my ear. "Is it even worth it…" I mumbled. However, the old woman turned to me and sighed.

"Don't lose hope now, training hasn't even started," She shrugged towards me.

"What should I focus on then? Everyone says they have someone they want to prove themselves for, but the one person I started out to prove my worth is gone… He's gone…"

I broke down once more. I fell to the rocky path on my knees and let the shock take me further to the ground as I buried my face in the mountain terrain. It was rough and alive underneath me. I am pathetic. I continue to feel horrible for myself, I continue to do this to myself. I always tear myself down!

"Damn that woman." I heard Shima snarl, "Did she not even give you a childhood! That damn woman, we had so much hope she would raise you right and she hasn't even given you the basic needs a mother needs to give!"

I felt her push my face to the side with her foot. I lost any balance I had and fell to my side, my body lie on the ground.

"My mother?" I mumbled through my dirty tears.

"Yeah that's right, your mother didn't give you any self-estem. Damn, that's harder to build than Chakra." Shima knelt in front of my face and gave a small, toady smile. "But girl, you're going to have to pull yourself together. You can't keep letting your father's death get you down! He's gone, and none of your moping is going to bring him back! Now if you need someone to prove yourself to and it can't be you, do it for a boy."

I furrowed my brow at the female toad. A boy? I guess love was a strong enough push to get stronger and better. However, I didn't love anyone. I loved my friends, I loved them like family but they were all stronger than me and didn't want me to prove myself to them. So then, who could I prove myself to?

" Come on! You don't have one person you'd like to impress?"

That's when Gaara's image popped in my head and a blush ravaged my cheeks. The kazekage had saved me from a rouge ninja, I owed him a debt to save him. Plus, he gave me so much, he gave me a way to Konoha, he believed in my story.

"There we go, well… prove it to whoever made you blush. Now come on, Fukasaku hates to be kept waiting. Especially after we've thrown him off the cliff!"


	10. Win the war!

**_Hair_ as white as _SNOW_!**

**A **Naruto fanfiction.

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine, but Malli Elliku and her thoughts are mine

* * *

><p>Chapter 10:<p>

I took a deep breath as sweat rained from my forehead, my hands twitched and burned as I stared at the frogs infront of me.

"Come on, you can do it, one more time" Shima cheered with a big, toad like grin. With a growl, I closed my eyes and grunted hard, focusing on my hands. Come on, just a little bit of chakra, just some. I needed a show! I needed some proof I was Jiraiya's daughter, I had his looks and please let me have his chakra. Gasping as a harsh pain shot through my veins, I collapsed hard into the rough terrain. I opened my eyes as gravity ripped my body to the ground.

"Nothing…" Fukasaku groaned.

"Shut up! She's trying, it's hard the first time and she's a lot older than most children when they learn to first call it." Shima hissed right back at him. This time there were no tears, I snarled like a beast as my hands and beat them into the ground. All I felt was fury and exhaustion. Why? Why won't you come! I repeated the same question in my head several times as I beat the ground.

Only, as I grew angrier and angrier, the heat in my body burned hotter and hotter. I felt it, a fire that burn in my stomach consumed me. I demanded it to come out, I was not going to try and push it out like a splinter. It was going to do what I said. CHAKRA SHOW YOURSELF!

Within a second the ground splintered around me, the rocks smashed as a surge of air pushed past me and I watched rocks fly everywhere . I reeled back. I looked to the toads, their eyes wide and their grins even wider.

"I did it…." I whispered.

"THE PROTICAL CHILD HAS APPEARED!" Shima leapt up and down as I grinned.

"I DID IT!" I screeched, scrapping my knees in a rush to jump up and down. "I DID IT, I REALLY DID IT!" Relief hit me like a tidal wave, my emotions all happiness and excitement. I threw my hands up, and as I did, power surged from my stomach and out into the air. A large purple haze of air struck up above me and smashed into the rocks behind me. I covered my eyes as dust covered my head and shoulders, small pebbles trickled off my elbows.

"Okay, calmly, walkaway from the cliff." Fukasaku chuckled as I ducked and walked as slowly as I could to them. "So, you are an emotional chakra user."

"What's that mean?" I felt stupid for asking, but I couldn't tell what that had in store for me.

"The stronger your emotions, the stronger the chakra, anger and fear are weaker then sadness, sadness weaker then happiness and love, the more able you are to control your emotions the better control you have of your chakra." Fukasaku explained. He hopped up to my side and waved for me to sit. I crossed my legs as gracefully as I could and sat with him at an edge of the training platform we were on, Shima on my other side. The view beyond me was beyond beautiful.

The rocks own mist cloud bracelets and the sunset that glowed beyond every glittering rock cliff. There was nothing but mist and free air between the next plateau, then the next with the house and the bathing area.

"It's going to be great with someone who is so open about her emotions, who feels them with everything." Shima added, her eyes never left the skyline.

"But it also means you are more likely to be hurt this way, if you can't control your emotions they could be the death of you." Fukasuka stated without a blink of one of his eyelids.

"So I can call on the chakra, I just need to work on my emotions?"

"Work on working through all of them, working with them. Instead of letting your grief pull you into fear, let it fuel you to be happy. Let it fuel you to do better." Fukasuka turned and placed his palm on the flesh of my wrist, but there was barely a touch. "Get some sleep, tomorrow we work on messing with your emotions." He hopped off the plateau and fly down into the mist. Shima followed as I stayed on the rock plateau. I scooted myself away from the edge of the plateau and laid flat on my back.

Emotions, I need to control them.

That meant no more tearing myself down.

I needed to think of the greater things.

Like what Gaara was doing at the moment?

~!~!~

Word had spread loud and clear that the Ninja would not allow the Akatsuki to take over. After Pein attacked the leaf village, it spread like wild fire. They would not hold still, and the world could no longer ignore them for the most part. They needed to be taken care of. Gaara stood next to Tsunade as they looked at a map of the island that Killer Bee and Naruto were supposed to be on, keeping from identification and from anyone else knowing.

"I wish it wouldn't come to this…" Tsunade growled as she slammed her fist into the table. Gaara's heart bled with her, this war would bring death, and this would tear them apart. But the Alliance had to be started and the soldiers needed to be rallied. Gaara leaned his back up against the table, his elbow rest on his gourd of sand. Not even Temari or Kankuro could know where Naruto and Bee were. No one but their body guards could know.

"Will the alliance be formed before the Akatsuki decide to attack?" Gaara asked.

"Who knows what their planning. All information is scrambled or misleading. We have no hands in the water anymore. It's no longer a mission, it's a war." Tsunade ran her fingers through her hair. "And to make it better… the leaf's 2 secret weapons are out on that island." Tsunade slapped her hand to her forehead.

"2?" He inquired as Tsunade sigh and placed her hand down into a pocket. Out she pulled a photograph that she kept there as a hope for the future. When Jiraiya gave it to her, she scoffed. There was no way this could be him, but he came to Konaha with a bundle in one hand and a hand in the other.

He left the trio of children, and wound up with his own.

"Jiraiya was ready to settle down just for her… he would have given up drinking, women, and the leaf for her…"

Gaara looked to the picture before him. The white haired sannin, the teacher Naruto spoke of often, held a newborn with a woman hugging his shoulders. The baby had his lines and the sparkling white hair that he had. Gaara handed it back before it hit him like a tidal wave.

"Malli is his child!" He blurted out without meaning to.

"And he would have given her the world, but her mother refused. Damn woman kept herself from the Leaf and demanded that Jiraiya not try to loose his way of life over a child. Jiraiya wanted to bring them to the leaf, but she refused and she kept the child. She didn't want him to loose everything he loved for only one thing he liked. She didn't know how much he loved that child. He gave her a present, but her mother took it and called it her own. A tiny frog named Naruto, to remember him by. As long as he was alive, so the frog would be…. I told Jiraiya to just take his child, but he refused, said she needed her mother more than a drunkard who liked to flirt with women as a father…" Tsunade tucked the photo away.

A tear threatened to spill down her cheek.

"And Malli went with Naruto." Gaara looked to the door where Tsunade stared at.

"The only remnant of a great man left, and she has the whole world of potential, I can just feel it when I look at her. She could win this war beside Naruto and Bee, she has the power… and she would never know it because that damn woman didn't show her the world. Malli would have been better off with Jiraiya."


	11. Sage!

**_Hair_ as white as _SNOW_!**

**A **Naruto fanfiction.

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine, but Malli Elliku and her thoughts are mine

* * *

><p>Chapter 11:<p>

I took a deep breath and nodded for the frogs to continue. The welt on my right arm burned but I couldn't stop. I needed to be an aid to my people, to Naruto, to even Gaara. The war was on our heels, the battle just before us and here I was learning basics! No! Keep the mind focused, loose the focus and I would gain another welt. I opened my eyes and readied my body for another attack. Just as I put my body into position to strike, the large log came my way. No time to think a strategy, I slashed my hand through the wood; the large wood splintered and fell into pieces before me.

The goal was to reach the other side of the mountain in one piece. War didn't stop for you to catch your breath, war didn't pause to get water. War happened and you were either ready or dead. I clenched my hands into a fist, my body shaken from the adrenaline as I charged forward. Spike shot up from the dirt and I leapt over them, rolling back to my feet to keep going. Only, a man of black goo appeared before me with a kunai.

No fear!

"NO FEAR!" I cried out as I pivoted over my left foot, my right foot planted into his shin and my kunai into his neck. Fake blood spewed as I raced over him and into the group of three goo men before me. I dodged 2 attacks before I slammed my right hand into the stomach of one, the chakra exploding from me. Without a second to think, I flipped my free hand around, pivoted on my right foot, and grabbed the shoulder of another goo man. I used my body as an object to flip the man over before pivoting one last time and digging my kunai into the stomach of the other man.

As the man I flipped stood, I snatched my kunai back and flung it right into the head of the rising man.

When I turned to run once more towards the other side of the mountain, I found a real person there and I stopped.

It was one thing to take care of goo clones, to destroy things that were never really alive.

But this clone looked like a real person.

I hesitated and fear built in my stomach.

A grave mistake, as he pinned me to the ground and held a kunai to my neck.

"Why did you stop?" Shima called, the clone backed off of my neck.

"He… he looked so real." I whimpered as I laid there on the ground.

"They all will, but you have to understand Ninjas have to kill." Fukasuka growled as he hopped up to my side. I looked to the sky and shook my head. "What do you mean no? It's an occupational hazard!"

"No! I don't want to kill anyone if that's what it means!" I snapped up to a sitting position. My eyes felt on fire as I looked to the grandfather frog. "I thought being a ninja meant defending one's home, being the good guy!" I cried out, my whole stomach full of fear. I wanted to be useful; I wanted to be a great ninja. But I didn't think I could take anyone's life.

"Sometimes the good guy has to take the life of another to save the lives of their village." Shima whispered as she hopped over. A slimy hand on my thigh later, I felt blank and empty.

Could I kill anyone? Could I kill someone because I had to?

I couldn't even attack the man on the road who attacked me! Gaara had to save me! Taki is dead; Gaara took his life without a flinch, without hesitation.

"Am I weak for not wanting to kill?" I asked my throat hoarse.

"No, that makes you kind." Shima grinned, "You want to protect those close to you and prove yourself, right?"

"Of course!" I looked to her then Fukasuka. "I want to be the best, not for fame or fortune; I want to protect those who can't protect themselves. I want to show everyone that I'm worthy of my father's genes and Chakra. I want to show Naruto, Gaara, and Lee, that they didn't waste their time! I want to save everyone!" I gasped for breath as I pulled my knees up to my chest. What had felt like years spent on the mountain didn't end up being that long. Fukasuka said my father gave me plenty to work with; my genes would only bring me greatness when I was ready.

"Then, you my child are ready to go back."

~!~!~

"Malli?" A familiar voice asked as I ripped myself up onto the side of what I could see was a lake. My body soaked to the bone, through my clothes and my skin, I clawed at the dirt as I pulled myself up onto the dirt. They told me to dive and swim. When I saw the light I would know where I was. So I swam until I couldn't breathe and pushed myself up towards the light. Here I was, panting and cold as I pulled myself up onto the fully grassed area, out of the water.

"Huh?" I mumbled as I looked up and found 3 familiar faces. A weak smile graced my lips as I limply laid back down against the ground. Temari rushed to my side, her hands went right for my neck.

"Why aren't you with Naruto? How did you… you just came out of a pond!"

"They said I'd come to the place I was needed. Naruto doesn't need me, I guess." I coughed and felt it rattle my bones. Gaara and Kankuro knelt down beside me, a blanket pulled out and hands helping me to my feet. I looked up to green eyes that searched me from foot to scalp for injuries.

"Who are they?" Gaara whispered his eyes full of concern that touched me more than it should. I felt like fainting at the moment, but Gaara probably had enough on his hands than saving the same girl twice.

"The same people that trained Naruto." I grinned, my whole body beginning to sway. My body was numb now, my toes tingled and I could feel myself begin to drift. Exhaustion hit my body like a brick.

"She needs to sleep. Let's take her to Tsunade, she'll probably understand what she's babbling about." Temari stood up and dusted her knees off.

"Why don't… you take her Gaara, Temari and I have it from here."

I don't remember what happened after that, but I do remember waking up about 20 minutes later to a warm hand on my cheek.

"Wake up." Every muscle in my body begged to sleep longer, but my mind shot awake. I opened my eyes like creaky doors to see Gaara looking over me. Even my teeth hurt, not sure how that made any sense, but my whole body hurt.

"You over exerted yourself, Tsunade says you'll be up and running after you rest more." Gaara explained, his hand retreating. Without hesitation, I pressed his hand more into my cheek by rolling my face onto his palm and hoping he left it there.

"Then why did you wake me?" My voice felt like it just floated from my body. I heard his chuckle as he pushed my face back and took his hand back. I smiled, but all I wanted was to be warm and he radiated warmth. Maybe it was the lack of heat I produced under the sheets, or maybe crazed from lack of sleep, but I spoke more without thinking it through. "You could make it up, by lying with me."

I saw him smile, a genuine smile on his lips as he shook his head. He made a silent laugh almost as he placed his hand on my shoulder.

"I have to go. The Kage's need me, but I didn't want to go without letting you know that you're home and safe." His words were soft and I almost didn't catch them. But when I did, I furrowed my brows down and grabbed his hand with mine.

"Where… where is home?" I didn't want the truth.

The truth was I didn't have a home.

A fantasy was he would say Sunakagure, where Gaara was.

A good lie would be on the island with Naruto to stay.

"Konaha." He stated with a more serious tone. "Where your father would have wanted you to live."

Before I could drag him down to ask him more, he stood and left the room. The almost bland room, a hospital room no doubt, where the sheets were stiff but the blanket was thick and beginning to warm me up.

My father?

That meant, someone knew other than Lee. Was I wrong and thinking that no one would figure it out. My huge secret blown now to the red head leaving my room, the red head I wanted nothing more than to come back and smile at me again.

What horrible time for me to pick a crush on the most important man in the realm.

I closed my eyes and let out a sigh. No use crying over a secret bound to come out sooner or later.

Was Shima right? Was I ready to be back? Could I be the daughter Jiraiya deserved?

I gripped the blanket closer to my body as I curled up on my side. I didn't even have his picture to stare at. This time, I was completely alone. Exhaustion hit my body before any grief could. I welcomed the sleep and fell back into my floating darkness.

When I awoke, I would do whatever I could to earn the title my father bestowed on me.

The title that Naruto and I both shared now. I knew the jutsu, but could I use it as well as he could. I saw what Naruto looked like, the robes and the large scroll, the orange around his eyes. Naruto was truly amazing, and as I fell deeper in my sleep, I hoped he thought the same of me.

Amazing Sage.

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><p>Author's Note: SOOOOORRRRYYY! It took so long to get this posted, it just needed more that had not come to me yet. but here it is! Hope yal love it as much as I do!<p> 


	12. Put you on replay!

**_Hair_ as white as _SNOW_!**

**A **Naruto fanfiction.

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine, but Malli Elliku and her thoughts are mine

* * *

><p>Chapter 12:<p>

I woke up with such force I almost threw up. Like I was shot out of a cannon, I snapped up out of bed and straight onto the floor. After I recovered from the movement and fast, sudden, impact with the floor, I let out a cry of pain. No tears, no emotions, just straight pain throughout my whole body thanks to the collision with the floor. After the cry of pain, I cursed.

"FUCK! OW! AH! SHIT! FUCK!" I pushed up onto my knees and gasped for air. The world came crashing back to my mind, just like the cold of the hospital floors crashed into me. Only, before I could let out any thought or genuine thought through sentence, the door to my right flung open.

"About time you woke up, wars are not won by just sleeping." My eyes snapped to the door and instantly lit up. "It just isn't a youthful way to do it."

"LEE!" Up onto my feet, I launched myself into the green, latex arms of my teacher, and friend. I tightened my grip around him, buried my face in his shoulder and took a deep breath. As always, he smelt of grass, exertion, and clean laundry hung up to dry. One hand in his hair and one around his rib cage, I didn't want to let go. Lee hung to me just as desperately, his arms around me tightly.

"Mali-chan, it has been far too long." He whispered.

"It's only been a week, maybe two." I mumbled into his shoulder.

"Far too long without one's sensei, in my opinion." I could hear the smile and frown in his voice. I knew he was glad to have me back, as much as I was glad to be back with him. But Guy sensei was with Naruto, away from Lee.

"Well, who has time for tears and long hello's. We have much to do!" I gasped, trying to keep from crying of happiness to be back with Lee. He was one of the few people who beat my confidence back into place when it dislodged.

"You are exactly right, what a spectacular thought! We should race to the ninja ranks!" Lee grinned as he pulled from the embrace and grinned to me. I nodded and before he could say 'go' I bolted around him and out into the hall. I wore beige shorts with a white belt holding them to my hips. My dress once replaced by a white tanktop with a brown leathery like corset across my rib cage. My bushy white hair held back by a brown leather head band, letting only small pieces frame my face.

My feet were bare.

I rushed down the stairs and skidded around a corner, almost to the front doors when Lee burst infront of me.

"NO FAIR!" I called out to my green, speed Sensei.

"You had a head start!" Lee called back to me with laughter, and out the door he went. I followed and came to a screeching halt just as he had right outside the doors. In front of the doors, stood Tsunade and her pig.

"Lady Hokage!" Lee called out, arm out to stop me. I collided with it, but Lee had enough of a stance to stop me right in my tracks.

"Sorry to interrupt the run Lee, but I need Malli." She stated. I could see the frown etch itself across Lee's face as he put down his arm and nodded. I furrowed my brows to him, then to Tsunade who sighed.

"You can come too, but no more racing." Tsunade sighed and both of our faces lit up. But she turned on her heel and marched away, forcing Lee and I to jump to race after her.

"Well, What is it exactly you need from me?" I asked with a sheepish grin. I looked to Lee who shrugged and shook his head, he had no idea what this was for.

I knew the ninja world was at war, I knew we were up against the worst of the worst, and that things weren't getting any better. We were literally at the battle lines, awaiting their first strike. Konoha had already been hit by Pein and nothing would compare to the damage the Akatsuki have done to Konoha. Now they threatened to do much worse, but what could they do?

"The Akatsuki may try and kill you." Tsunade stated with a soft, stern tone.

My feet stopped in their tracks as I looked up to the woman before me. Lee, wide eyed, turned to me with fear written all over his face. Tsunade stopped to look at me with a sigh.

"Your Mother may have not done many things right, but something we've come to realize is that because of your nonexistence to most of the world, no one knew who you were. What you can become. But, now that you have power, some can already smell it." I felt a shiver run through my body as she crossed her arms and looked right at me. "There were 2 attempts on your life while you were asleep in the hospital."

My eyes felt like they couldn't grow any wider as I looked to her, head shaken and a foot back. I didn't even know what to do. What to say, who to talk to. Lee watched me, I could see his eyes searching for any scars or bruises, but nothing.

"Gaara stopped one attack, we were thankful you didn't wake up while there was massive amounts of blood on the floor. Seeing as you're not used to it, Gaara feared for what you would think if you woke up surrounded by the bodies." Vile, vomit, everything in my stomach threatened to shoot up my throat and out my mouth. The only thing keeping it at bay was the fact she said Gaara. The red haired, god of my life saved me.

"He stopped… one?" I whispered, my throat tighter than it ever felt before. I could feel my knees threaten to crumble.

"Yes, the other attack we had no idea about… until we found them stuck to the floor… well… to the stomach lining of frog." She grimaced and shivered, but I was the one to shiver.

"HOW!" I burst out. She cocked an eyebrow in my direction. "ME?" I squeaked.

"Yes, you. There is only one other person, I know, to use that Jutsu to trap ninja. And that ninja was your father. That was one of his most famous, and strictly his, jutsu." Tsunade smiled at me.

I smiled weakly only to look down to my own body. The small scar across my stomach stood there, just above my belt, the top half visiable to anyone to see.

How did the girl who held onto the fear of being attacked, the girl who had this scar, defend against people in her sleep. How did she use a jutsu that Shima only mentioned in a side conversation. I felt a smile slowly grow onto my face as I looked up to Tsunade, her arms crossed.

"Just because you can do it in your sleep doesn't mean you're ready to fight. But you're an asset we need, an asset that can not be let to be taken by the Akatsuki and their many cohorts. So you'll be next to us the whole time. You're going to work next to the Kage's to ensure your safety as long as possible." With that, she turned and started off again. I smiled to Lee who nodded at me and nodded his head for me to follow her.

"This means we have some time to get last minute training in." he whispered with a grin.

~!~!~

"If I was being attacked, why did you leave?" I asked, Gaara who stood over a map with his hands tracing lines. I followed his fingers to every point, my eyes torn between his stony expression and his hands that moved slowly across the paper. Only, a few seconds after I spoke, his face changed to a more relaxed, questioning face as he looked to me.

"I feared it was I they were after. The Akatsuki is attempting to destroy our forces before they can gather. I was concerned of their attacks on me would endanger you." He spoke, his eyes stuck to mine before he ripped them down to the map. I furrowed my brow and stepped up closer to the map. I watched his hands only this time, his face back to a stone expression.

"So what do we do now?" I asked, hoping he would speak to me more. I loved the sound of his voice, the way he spoke to me like I knew everything he did, like we were on the same level. But from my experience, I knew Gaara wasn't much of a talker. I could handle that. "I mean, it's not like we can just march on them and demand they stop. We don't even know what they want or what they're going to use to attack. We don't even know their leader!"

Gaara nodded, his lips still sealed shut. I knew that I was the talker, and it was nice having someone just listen. Only, when I put my hand on the map, I saw his hands flinch slightly. But not in the way someone flinched when they hurt. I saw his hand move towards mine, but it stopped and flinch back, like it was afraid. I looked to his face, his stone face crumbling with confliction. This time I couldn't read his expression.

Usually I could tell what people were feeling.

But with Gaara, it wasn't that easy.

"Thank you." I whispered softly, I leaned down to see his face. He turned to look me in the eyes.

"For what?" I felt my lungs constrict as he tilted his head. The tightness in my lungs grew, almost suffocating me. Nothing stopped me from moving closer, so that our faces were closer. Was I mad? I mentally screamed to stop, I told my body to halt but I wanted more. The breathless feeling felt good, it hurt and it felt amazing at the same time.

"For saving me. All this time, all you've ever done is save me and I've done nothing to deserve it." I bit my lip involuntarily. What was I doing? I smiled at Gaara, I followed his eyes before I searched every inch of his face.

"Everyone deserves to be saved." I could see him try and swallow something. The air grew tense as I watched him try and detach his eyes. But then I slid my hand onto his, my fingers grazed across the top of his hand. Instantly his hand reacted, it flipped and gripped my palm, his hand pulled me closer. He yanked me up against him, he turned into me, his chest against mine, his hand still holding mine. Now it was my turn to try and swallow the lump in my throat.

Everything grew fuzzy, my brain, my thoughts, my feet. I couldn't feel anything but the burning in my left hand and the enraged beat of my heart, almost leaping from my chest. He looked right into my eyes, this time there was no trying to look away.

"I've, I've never…" I gulped for air. "I don't know how to thank you." I forced the words out of my lips that almost refused to move. I could feel it, the warmth in his skin against mine, the cold of his head band around his gourd strap, it stung my stomach. His free hand shook, like a tremble, as it went to my shoulder. I actually held my breath, I couldn't figure out how to breathe so I just held it.

I shivered into his touch as he ran his hand up my shoulder to my cheek. His look was intense and unreadable.

"I never did it, for the thanks." He breathed and I melted into his touch as he cupped my cheek, his thumb running up my jaw line to the edge of my ear lobe.

I bit down hard on my lip, I feared it would burst except his hand moved to my chin and his thumb actually freed my lip. My teeth just let it go when I felt his thumb trace my lips.

"Gaara." I watched his eyes go from mine to my lips where the words came out. Everything was alive now, the fuzziness was only the world around me. I wanted to wrap my arms around him, I wanted to attack him, I wanted so much. But I couldn't move. Atleast with my body so still, I could live in the moment forever. Only when his other hand dropped back down to my shoulder, I could feel air coming back to my lungs.

"I need to go." He whispered.

"I need you to kiss me." I blurted out. Only, after I had said it did I realize what I had said and my whole face exploded in embarrassment. Gaara didn't say anything, he only released my hand lightly, his hand moving to my hips. Instantly my mind shut up and my heart almost stopped beating as his face was instantly closer to mine. His lips were inches from mine, his forehead against mine. He closed his eyes but I couldn't help but watch him. I could see him breathing and I could feel his entire body go tense.

"I want to." He confessed, but his eyes opened and I saw the universe in them. Everything a glorious green and sea blue and white colors, everything that was magnificent in life stood there in his eyes. "But I can't." He apologized, his jaw tense as he released me and stormed off.

I stood there, breathless and frozen, an icy mountain etched in place as he ripped open the door to his tent and rushed into it. When he was out of ear shot, I gasped for breath and leaned against the map table. The world came crawling back, slowly as I looked to the table then to my feet.

"What is wrong with me!" I moaned quietly as I slide down to the floor and tucked myself under the table in shame.

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><p>Author's Notes: As promised, another chapter in the story. Hope it's as fantastic as I think it is. Tell me what you think!<p> 


	13. Blood Shed!

**_Hair_ as white as _SNOW_!**

**A **Naruto fanfiction.

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine, but Malli Elliku and her thoughts are mine

* * *

><p>Chapter 13:<p>

I needed to focus, I needed to get my mind on something else. Only, I couldn't I stood there, my hands finally wrapped to work out with Lee. He didn't ask me anything, he didn't talk much and I couldn't force any words out of my mouth. I wanted to talk to him, but I couldn't get my mouth to work. I didn't feel depressed, just disappointed and embarrassed.

It was weird, though, for Lee to not try and speak. He stood tall and looked up to me, ready for our first practice fight in a long time. I took a deep breath and nodded at him. Instantly he rushed forward.

I ducked and pivoted under his foot, I dove into a roll and leapt to my feet, ready for any other attack. He seemed a lot slower than usual. But the way he looked at me, made it seem like he was taking it easy on me.

"Don't grow soft on me, Lee. I can take it this time." I smiled to him, unsure if my smile actually was indeed a smile. But he nodded and lunged at me again. This time faster than before, he didn't go for me directly. I had to jump over him, attempting to land a kick on him, only for him to grab it. I twisted to kick him again, but he dropped me. I landed on my hands and pushed myself back up onto my feet in time to avoid a punch.

Wait…

A punch to the face. I slid to the right and stopped, hands up with furrowed brows.

"Lee, you alright?" I asked, eyebrows cocked. Lee would never be so predictable to go for my face.

That's when his hands lit up with a blue chakra and a second Lee walked out from behind him.

"You're not Lee…." I whispered, my chest tight with fear.

"Good, you're not as stupid at the Uzamaki child." I stepped a few steps back and prepared my hands.

"Who are you and what do you want?" I growled, my hands tightened into a fist.

"None of your business who I am, what I want should be obvious!" And with that, the two Lee's came charging at me. I took no time to clap my hands together and form hand signs. I had no time to doubt myself as I slapped my hand to the ground. Instantly the tent flew from the ground, the 2 Lee's stopped in their tracks as I stood atop of the toad.

Panic turned into excitement as I jumped up and down with a squeak.

"I DID IT!" I cried out, clapping as I looked down to my relatively large toad below. That's when the two Lee's turned into black clad ninja's with rather large weapons in their hands. Now was not the time to be happy of my accomplishments. I steadied my feet on the toad and placed my hand down, the frog leaned down in a crouch.

In seconds we lunged forward towards the men, my toad smashing them to the side. I rolled off my toad and lunged for one, leaving my black and green summoning to work with the other. The toad charged after one, the sound of its rampage loud in my ears. Along with my heart beating in my ear as I readied my Kunai, the sounds around me were loud and everywhere.

Fear threatened to take over, but I needed to focus.

Don't feel fear, feel happiness, I needed to feel confident.

"I am confident!" I roared as I lunged right back at the dark clothed ninja. I went swing for swing against his large daggers. The clanging only reassured me that I could do it as I pushed him further back from his steady stance.

I slashed, I cut at him as hard as I could, and when I thought he was only focused on my knife, I swept his right foot out from under him. He went down, his face covered in a mask and unreadable. I dove for him to put my Kunai in his chest. One hand held down his weapon hand and my knees on his hips, but I couldn't do it.

He came after me.

But I could not stab him. I tried, I had my Kunai to his chest, but I couldn't.

"YOU'RE A WEAK FOOL!"

I was ripped from my kneeling position by a pair of hands, the black cloaked ninja got up. I struggled, I kicked but nothing worked. The man behind me had my arms pulled painfully behind my chest and nothing worked to remove his hands. He stood firmly and held me just high enough off the ground to keep me from being about to hurt him.

My eyes searched for my toad, but I only found him gone in a puff of smoke. I was alone.

I had been in the furthest tent from the camp to keep from breaking anything. A thought told me to scream, but my pride kept me from doing anything. I couldn't take care of myself, I couldn't defend myself. Fear bit into my stomach and my heart as the man put a dagger up to my throat.

Memories poisoned my mind.

The day the ninja's cut into my stomach, the day they showed me exactly how weak and afraid I was.

I felt that fear again.

Tears threatened to spill as I could hear the chuckle of the man behind me.

"Tell your father, the Akatsuki say hi."

My father? The tears instantly went away. I couldn't let him down like this.

"NO!" I screeched and without my control, I let out a surge of chakra, the hardest blast I could. I felt anger boil over the fear; I felt determination hold both in its fists as I fell to my hands and knees. Both ninjas cursed, on their feet to charge again.

But the power tingled on my skin, I could feel the jutsu working. My eyesight changed, the world and how I preserved it change instantly.

My skin tingled as I looked to my reflection in my Kunai.

Dark purple framed my now slotted eyes, my skin porcelain and glossy.

Sage jutsu, and it felt like nothing I ever had before. My power was enhanced tenfold.

I turned to stare at the men as they lunged towards me. I slapped my hands together as a small wave of Chakra shot from my skin. The men smashed back into the ground as I took a deep breath and welcomed the new found power in my skin. It was scary and exhilarating.

My jutsu was now more powerful than before. A jutsu all my own, chakra forced right out of my body like bullets, chakra taking physical shape. I gulped down the lump in my throat and threw my head back as a second surge of chakra in the shape of arrows shot from my skin. I could feel them passing through my body like needles that left no scars. I almost crumpled in pain but I stopped when I saw the one ninja pinned to a tree.

Blood trickled out of his neck and arms as the chakra melted away, his body slumped to the ground.

But the other held his right arm and growled right at me.

"WHAT ARE YOU?" He snarled. I grasped the dagger that had been discarded by the dead ninja and held onto the hilt, the weight of the dagger nothing compared to the weight of my chakra settling on every pore in my body.

"Jiraiya's Daughter!" I shouted. Both of us lunged at each other. He slashed and I blocked, I lunged and he ducked. Chakra slammed into him only for him to rush away from it. I could feel everything building up, like no shot I ever had before.

I waited, just like I had been taught. Wait till I had the shot, wait till he was cornered. When he found himself pressed up against the tree, I let it out like a ray of sunlight. Every emotion that swirled in my brain fused with all the Chakra I had left, and I let it all go.

All I heard was the scream of pain and the cracking of a tree.

"BITCH!"

I almost stumbled, but my pride kept my feet going, the need to feel safe pressing me to finish this.

I found him, bleeding and holding onto the stump of a tree.

"You can do what you want, but it will take more than some freakshow chakra to kill me." He snarled, unable to move from his slumped position. I stood above him only to fall to my knees in front of him. He wheezed for air as he looked right at me. "and we both know you can't take my life, even here in my weak state. You just don't have the power your friends do."

I narrowed my eyes. Anger boiled in my stomach. He mocked my fear of taking someone's life. His buddy lost his life do to my jutsu, but his blood was not directly on my hands. He died swiftly without much effort. But this ninja, I put the dagger to his chest and my hands shook.

"Go ahead! We both know you're not good enough to kill-" I stopped him.

I screamed as I pulled my arm back and slashed it across his jugular. I took the dagger and cut his throat as fast and as hard as I could. Blood spewed, it sprayed and drenched me as I screamed at the ninja. His eyes rolled back and his mouth hung open as his head fell back, the blood raining over me.

When I felt the anger subside, fear and despair gripped my heart as I could feel the hot blood all over my body.

What had I done!

"MALLI!" I turned my head, tears mixing with the blood that soaked my face.

There was Lee who stood with a look of Horror. I put out the dagger and point it at him.

"Prove it's you! Prove it that you're the real Rock Lee!" I screeched.

Lee looked me over before he knelt down to my level and put his hands down to the ground.

"I'm the real Lee, the weight on my left leg is more than the one on my right because my right leg is my dominant leg and only Malli and Guy Sensei know that. That, and me and you ate pineapple upside cake the first night we trained because you said you wanted to get fat and burn it off the next morning." He smiled to me weakly as I nodded and dropped the dagger.

"They pretended to be you…" I whimpered.

"Come on, we need to clean you up." He whispered back to me with an outstretched hand.

"I thought I was going to die…"

~!~!~

"So you're saying, she said she wanted to kiss you, scratch that, needed you to kiss her, and you told her you couldn't?" Kankuro asked with such disappointment in his voice it was almost painful to Gaara. The red head sighed and put his head in his hands.

"I'm not the person she wants…" He whispered with another sigh. "Even without the Shukaku, my thoughts are still horrible. When she touched me all I wanted to do was…" Gaara trailed off and let out a groan of pain.

"You wanted to what?" Kankuro asked. The brunette sat next to his brother in the large armchair next to the even larger armchair that Gaara sat in. Gaara ran his fingers through his hair and shook a small amount of sand out of it.

"I want to kiss her, and attack her. I wanted to bit her neck and kiss it over and over till it was bruised, I wanted to claw her perfect skin, and I never wanted her to let go. I want to hold her so tightly it hurts, and more." Gaara leaned his head back. "She's not going to like who I really am, and if I kissed her I would never…" Gaara trailed off and ruffled his hair again.

"You would never let her leave you." Kankuro finished his sentence. Gaara nodded before he turned to look at his brother. Kankuro cocked a brow to his brother and nodded back.

"I want her so badly it hurts." Gaara stated. "But I couldn't do that to her. She doesn't even know me."

"Well, brother, you never let her get to know you. All you do is shut everyone out. Hell, it took till just this year for you to even talk to me like this! Temari's still jealous you told me about your feelings before her." Kankuro chuckled. Gaara rolled his eyes but looked towards the tent entrance where he had stormed in the day before.

Just thinking about her sent shivers up his spine and goosebumps on his arms, and he didn't even know her all that well. He wanted to, though. He wanted to know her fears and her secrets, he wanted her to never stop talking to him. The first girl to show him this kind of affection, this kind of attention, and he couldn't get enough. Maybe it was the way she never hid anything from him, or that she was an open person, maybe even the way she talked about people with her hands and her eyes always lit up.

"I can't. She won't like who I really am." Gaara mumbled.

"There you go again," Kankuro huffed. Gaara looked to his brother confused who glared right back at him. "You will never know if you don't try! You assume everyone will hate you."

"They usually do." Gaara retorted.

"Yeah, when you were hurtful and spiteful, and full of demonic thoughts. But you're not that Gaara anymore, Brother you're more than that. You're intelligent, and open to new ideas, you are strong and loyal, you care for things that never deserved your concern. What person wouldn't like you?"

Gaara opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the flap to his tent opened by the panicked face of Tsunade.

"The Akatsuki attacked Malli," Gaara was up before she could finish. "They're dead."

"What happened?" He asked roughly, already out of the tent when Tsunade stopped him.

"She slaughtered them, and now… she's a little uneasy. Be careful, she's not stable it being her first time to take the life of anyone."

The walk to Malli's tent was almost deathly, as Gaara got closer he could hear soft crying and what sounded like someone, a man, speaking.

Gaara opened the flaps of her tent lightly, stepping in and almost instantly stepping out. There on the floor was Malli, collapsed and in only a towel. She had her knees under her and her hands clutched to the chest of Rock Lee. Lee had his head on hers and both hands around her. The sounds of Malli's quiet sobs were almost covered up by the soothing noises Lee made.

Gaara turned to leave when Lee looked up and smiled at him.

"Gaara," He whispered. He almost wanted to kill the dark haired male for it, because Malli looked up instantly and his chest fell. His lungs collapsed in on themselves and his hands trembled as he looked to a broken girl. The girl once so confident to touch his hand, to talk to him no matter the subject, was not broken down in tears and a shattered heart he could almost see.

"Gaara." She sniffled. He nearly stumbled to kneel next to her, his hand shook as he put one on her shoulder and took as deep a breath as he could. No words left his throat, but he couldn't imagine she was much for words at the moment. She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes. Gaara soon wrapped his arms fully around her and pulled her into his chest, Lee stood.

"I'll bring you some clothes, Malli-chan." He whispered. She nodded but stayed mostly quiet.

Gaara sat still as she clung to his chest and took deep breaths. Only, when she spoke, did he finally almost break apart.

"You smell nice." She whispered. Gaara engulfed her, pulling her as close to him as possible, his face buried in her soaking wet, white hair. She didn't struggle, or ask to be let go, she only wrapped her arms completely around him. Gaara shook slightly at her touch only to hold her tighter.

That feeling Naruto described, about the need to protect someone, the need to have that person in your life, he finally understood it.

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: This one is really long, I realized I had alot of thoughts and muse for it, so I just didn't stop writing. Hope yal like it, and yay for updating a day after I already updated.<p> 


	14. Don't say goodbye!

**_Hair_ as white as _SNOW_!**

**A **Naruto fanfiction.

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine, but Malli Elliku and her thoughts are mine

* * *

><p>Chapter 14:<p>

I barely found my feet under me the next few mornings to come. Since the attacks on my life were becoming harder, Lee was determined my training had to be as well. Since that night, Gaara was completely different around me. Whenever I wasn't practicing with Lee to be competent at just attacking with my hands and feet, I was with Gaara. He let me follow him from meetings to talk in with solidiers and spies, and sometimes we just sat and ate in silence out of pure exhaustion. But, the best part and worst part were the nightmares.

I continued to have horrific nightmares about blood, the spew of its iron reeking liquid all over me. Faces, people, bodies, all stared and glared at me. I felt like a broken child. Every time I woke up startled, and sometimes, I woke up screaming.

If I woke up screaming, Gaara was there to hold me. He held me close to his chest, and curled up around me until I could breathe again. He never said a word, but it meant the world to me to have him there. He never talked about the nightmares, except for once when I thanked him for it. Even then, he said, "I never did it for the thanks." And the slightest smile would be on his lips and I felt shivers, the memory of the time next to the map still fresh in my head.

But this night, after a hard day, all day with Lee out in the field, my body felt like a pile of stepped in mud. I showered and laid down to rest. Only, this time when I woke up from the nightmare, I hadn't screamed. I could still feel the panic in my blood and fear in my brain. I flipped from my bed and darted out of my tent. I needed Gaara, but he was probably asleep.

Little did I know, as I slipped into his personal tent in hopes to curling up next to him like a child. I found him in only shorts on his bed, eyes wide open and hands behind his head. He laid there relaxed until my entrance. He turned his head to me and I saw his body go tense. I had tears trailing down my cheeks that now lit up with embarrassment, my hands attempted to pat down my pajama shorts to hang lower than they felt.

"Malli?" He whispered and turned to get up. But I was determined to go back to sleep, and soon, so I swiftly marched to the side of his bed and sat down. Without a word, he pulled me into his arms and soothed my wild hair with his hands.

"I didn't wake up screaming, I couldn't breathe." I confessed. I pulled back from the embrace to look at him.

I wanted to ask to sleep next to him, but he didn't look tired. Plus, now that I knew he was barely clothed, I didn't want to ask.

"Yes?" He asked me, drying up my throat painfully.

"I..."I gulped, "Would you mind if I slept here?"

His body went tense as I watched him, panic rising in my chest. He would say no and I would be the fool. What a pain was I to him? I must be such a pest to him, worrying him when he had larger things to worry about.

On the brink of war, and I wanted to turn all his attention to me. I felt so selfish.

Gaara didn't say a word, because when I went to move away, to slink back to my tent in shame, he pulled me back. He did more than that.

Gaara pushed his lips up against mine, his lips afraid at first. Only, when my hands clutched to his shirt out of impulse, his lips were no longer afraid. My back hit the mattress in a swish of air, Gaara's knees on either side of my hips as our lips never parted. His hands flat on the mattress, his wrists pushed up against my shoulders. Hands that must belong to me, not that I could tell with my brain as mixed up as it was, went to his shoulders. I let them travel up his neck to his cheeks as I pushed more into the kiss.

A purr, I guess, the only way to describe it, came from Gaara as he pressed down into me. My fingers pulled at his hair, air escaped my lungs and never returned. I felt suffocated. But I felt in heaven as our lips moved and melted against each other. I felt his teeth scrape against my lips and I took a harsh, deep breath in my nose as his tongue met mine. I felt hazy, I felt upside down and unable to control my fingers.

As I buried my fingers in his hair, my nails scrapped against his scalp and that purr turned into a forceful growl. In a whip of air, he was on his back and my knees straddled him now, his fingers dug into my shoulders. I gasped for air in the second our lips parted before they were taken back by Gaara's. I felt the small tips of his finger nails claw my shoulder down to the top of my tanktop. I gasped again, but this time, Gaara didn't take over my lips again, his lips only kissed my cheek, then my jaw line. I took deep, heavy breaths to fill my lungs that screamed for air. I only lost all the air I had gained when his lips attacked my neck. My fingers, now back at his shoulders dug into his shoulder, clawing down to his collar bone. The pressure in the nape of my neck grew intense, then lit on fire when he lightly bit at my neck then kissed it again.

He moved from the right side to the very middle of my neck, his lips just grazed over my collar bone, shivers ripped down my spine. When he got to the other side, he only lightly kissed it, before blowing on my wet skin. My eyes opened to see his, fully intent on me. They went from this intense stare with fire, to a soft, apologetic look.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, his fingers slowly fell off my back to his sides. "Malli, I…." His voice fell silent as I looked to him.

"Sorry for what?" I breathed.

"You didn't come here for that, and I… I shouldn't have attacked you like that," He grumbled as he looked from my face to the front of the tent.

"You talk like you're some kind of tiger and I'm the poor zebra being eaten alive." I joked lightly, trying to catch his eye. Gaara finally let me catch his eyes, but they looked sad. I didn't know why, but they were incredibly sad. His right hand grazed my cheek before he rested it at the base of my skull.

He leant up and pressed a kiss to my lips, scared and timid like it had been before. But this time, when I kissed back, it stayed light and sweet.

"I will devour you, and I'm sorry… you shouldn't sleep here." He whispered.

My heart sank as I looked to him, his eyes so sad and full of things I couldn't understand. But I pulled my legs away from him and left the bed. I hid the tears as I stood and walked towards the door of the tent. I gulped and kept my head high until I was out of sight of the tent. That's when I collapsed and hit the ground, my knees took the full impact.

Tears flowed freely, but I made no sound.

But I heard Lee before he saw me, and I couldn't move.

"Why is it I always find you alone, and crying?" Lee whispered tentatively.

"I'm just a mess…I can't sleep." I mumbled. Lee lent his hand and lifted me to my feet. He linked arms with me and walked me back to my tent. I didn't speak, but he did.

Lee talked about the time before he was a great ninja, the hard work and hard times. He talked even as I leaned against him and the wall and fell asleep on his shoulder.

When I woke that morning, he was gone but there were two notes on my bed. My head was on the foot end of the bed, my legs hung off the side, and the blanket was thrown over my hips.

One note, by my hand, was obviously scrawled in Lee's handwriting.

'With hard work, and youthful hope, dreams will become reality.' I smiled and rolled my eyes.

A pep talk in one sentence, that was all Rock Lee.

But when I sat up, a note slipped from my pillow and fell beside me. It was far more slanted, prettier script.

"Don't give up on him, please. He needs you, he doesn't want to hurt you, and believes he doesn't deserve you."

~!~!~

I stood on a cliff, arms spread out to the world when the rain hit. It hit like bullets on my skin, but I continued to stand there with my arms out, ready to embrace the world if it would just let me hug it. I heard the roar of the ran on the land before I heard the roar of someone behind me.

"What are you doing out here?" I turned to Tsunade, an umbrella held above her head. I was already drenched to the bone and unable to speak for a second. She waited till I found the words to say, the words to express why I was out here.

"Trying to get closer to my father…" I breathed, trying to speak louder than the rain. Tsunade nodded as I turned back to the rain, eyes closed and head back.

"Malli… we have some intelligence that you might want to hear!" Tsunade yelled at me. I turned my head towards her with confusion as she stepped closer.

"It's about your mother?" My heart stopped as the rain continued to beat down onto my body. I could feel it on my head but my shoulders had become numb as I saw Tsunade's lips move. I couldn't hear her, the shock that took over me drowned her out. But I could see what she was saying.

"NO! No!"

"MALLI!" She shouted louder, her hands snatched up my shoulders and yanked me under the umbrella were the rain thundered more.

"No! She can't be, no!"

"Malli, she's in the hospital, we don't know how much longer she will-"I didn't wait. I knew where she was and I was already in a bolt. I could hear Tsunade yelling after me, but I didn't wait for her. My mother had been attacked, by the very men who wanted to take my life. I cried, I heaved and sobbed, but I made my body run. I made myself keep going, I made my feet keep running.

I made it 2 miles out of camp before Gaara appeared before me in a flash of sand.

"Move!" I cried out, tears mixed in with the rain as I tried to push past him.

"Malli, you can't leave the camp." He grabbed at my shoulders, but I shrugged him off.

"She's my mother!" I hissed, my body shook as I side stepped him.

"She hated you, you said she never wanted you." Gaara stated, his eyes focused on me firmly. I cried harder as I shook my head and stepped further towards the hospital that held my mother. Gaara grasped my hand and held it. I gripped his back, holding it tightly before I dropped it.

"But she's my mother, she's dying because of me. Even if she hated me for everything, I love her… I have no choice but to." I smiled at him.

"I will go with you."

"No!" I stepped up to him and put a hand to his shoulder. His hands pulled me closer to him, but I kept my strength and determination about me. "They need you here. But me… this is something I must do by myself." And with that, I was off again, in the rain.

Nothing could stop me, I had to make it before anything happened.

I didn't get to say goodbye to my father, I'll be damned if I'm not able to say it to my mother.

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: and here it is, chapter 14! ;DHF;SJDBG;AJBDS;JA;KJ!<p>

Yes!


	15. And I'm gonna let it BURN!

**_Hair_ as white as _SNOW_!**

**A **Naruto fanfiction.

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine, but Malli Elliku and her thoughts are mine

* * *

><p>Chapter 15:<p>

I took a harsh breath as the village came into view. A gasp racked my chest as I turned into the road towards the hospital. My legs burned and my chest felt like it was physically caving in. But I pushed, I threw my weight further and tried harder, I had to get to her sooner than now. I wanted to be there 2 hours earlier. Tears stained my face as the thought of losing the chance to say good bye became a reality. Maybe I was too late.

"WHERE'S THE FIRE!" I heard a taught to my left but I shook my head and charged faster.

"DON'T YOU IGNORE US!" But I had already stampeded into the crowd near the market, and ducked out at the doors of the hospital. I took a moment to breathe as I threw my body into the nurse's desk and looked to the woman. She didn't need ask my name, she knew me. They all did. The look of fear on their faces as they turned me to the ICU filled my chest with dread. My legs, once on fire, now turned lead as I stumbled towards the hospital room.

Everything was cement to my burnt out muscles as I turned and turned, looking for her. My eyes hurt, my eye sockets actually hurt as I looked for the woman curled up in a bed.

But instead, I found her laying splayed out on a bed, her eyes barely open and her breathing ragged. When I spotted her, her eyes widened and I could have sworn a smile graced her face, before she coughed up harder.

"Mom!" I cried out, fresh, lava hot tears hit my cheeks as I rushed to her side and dropped beside her. My knees barely recognized the pain of hitting the ground as I grabbed her loose hand and pulled it to my face.

"Malli…" Her voice was soft and almost gone like the wind in my ears. "Come here…" I slipped up onto the bed and looked into her eyes.

"I… don't blame you…" She heaved, her eyes heavy. "Your father, he warned me there would be a time when both our lives were at risk." Her chest rose up and down drastically.

"Mom, be careful…" I whimpered with my throat dry and my voice cracked at every other letter.

"No, I've done everything carefully my whole life. It's time for it to be about you." My heart cracked as I looked to the woman before me. She was not the spiteful, evil force that I remembered. She was a broken soul, the woman I saw crying over a frog.

"You loved him, more than me." I whispered. Her face, when I spoke, looked like someone slapped her hard.

"Malli… I loved him, your father… I loved him once, when we were young. But you were always more to me than he ever was. I wanted nothing more than to love you like I always wanted to be loved. But you were so much…. You were him." She coughed and heaved hard in her bed. "I didn't want you to hate him, for leaving us. You needed him… more than me. He was your way out of this town; I would only make you stay."

My tears stopped as I looked to her smiling up at me. My mom, this woman I feared and hated for all of time, was not the woman I knew her to be. I gasped as I held her hand and shook my head.

"I love you," My voice hitched on my tongue as she put a hand to my shoulder. She said nothing, but I watched as her hand slowly moved and the sound of the heart monitor went off.

She was gone.

"No." I hissed, the feeling of her limp hands in mine fed the pain in my belly. "NO! NO! NO!" I screamed as I dropped her hands.

They would pay!

THEY WOULD ALL PAY! WITH THEIR LIVES THEY WOULD PAY!

THEY TOOK THEM BOTH FROM ME! THEY TOOK **_EVERYTHING_** FROM ME!

My feet didn't feel the floor as I bolted from the hospital. I was ready for war, I was ready for revenge.

I barely reached out into the market, hot anger like the sun in my heart, before I felt it. A knife, a sharp kunai in my side, it was ice cold as my body collapsed to the ground. Breath escaped me as I crawled across the ground, attempting to get back to my feet. Blood slicked my fingertips as I turned to look at who had thrown it.

The market place was empty, except for the three ninja who glowered at me.

"I don't have time to play with bullies!" I snarled, gathering my body to my feet. I stumbled a bit, shocked by the gash across my hip.

"Did you hear that? The fresh meat think's she's too good to battle the men who killed her own mother!" The head of the group snickered.

That's when the anger lit up in my stomach again, the ice of the cut went out of my mind.

"You…What!" I snarled.

"Got good money for it too! Ironic, the chick we cut up as a stupid prank, is the same we get paid by some cloaked person to kill. You and your whore mother."

That's all it took.

I didn't scream.

No battle cry was heard.

But there was blood, lots of blood. I remembered seeing blood everywhere. I lunged, and that's all I remember whole.

There were flashes though, an arm ripped clean off, a head rolled against a ground, and the icy pain in my chest.

Pain hit me like a glacier.

The only thing that came after the blood was my agony as I hit the ground, covered in thick blood, and the darkness over took my mind.

~!~!~

"Okay, so go back and repeat what happened Kankuro, and this time, less sound effects." Temari groaned, hand over her head. Malli lay unconscious in her bed, both Temari and Kankuro charged with watching her till Gaara and Temari returned from the front lines with more Intel.

"Okay, I ran there to shadow Malli, as per Gaara's orders. When I caught up to her, the girl can run fast I'll give her that, Lee gave her his speed. But when I got there, she was hit by a Kunai. I saw her go down. Then when she turned to whoever it was, I was about to pull out the ANT, when they said it. They killed her mom; they were hired by the enemy to take her and her mother out. They called her mom a whore and she lost it. I saw it in her eyes, she was gone Temari. Then I felt it, like her Chakra super charged. She was so fast and they were slaughtered. She twisted one guy's head off, she swung the other guy around till his arm detached. Don't even get me started on the third guy. He's torn to shreds and she didn't even touch him. With just her chakra, she ripped him apart. It's scary."

Temari took a deep breath and looked to the girl lightly breathing on the bed. Her hair as white as fresh snow, but her face was scrunched with pain. A nightmare, Gaara would be unhappy if he knew she was having a nightmare and he was not there to help.

"Okay… I'll go put it on the record." Temari sighed as she stood to grab the paper needed to do paper work.

Kankuro watched the white haired girl.

She surely was something different.

* * *

><p>Author's notes: Sorry this took for ever, I had it all done, but I forgot to post it that night like I usually do and assumed it was up. Well, here it is.<p>

What do you think?


	16. What am I questioning here!

**_Hair_ as white as _SNOW_!**

**A **Naruto fanfiction.

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine, but Malli Elliku and her thoughts are mine

* * *

><p>Chapter 16:<p>

I yawned as the world came swirling back to me. With a groan, I slipped up off the floor, my body ached as I put my hands to my head. It felt like I was hit pretty bad. My mind fuzzy, I looked around the floor only to shoot up to my feet instantly. The entire tent was on fire.

The scent of smoke and burnt flesh hit my nose instantly; the sounds of screams filled my ears as I looked around. The tent was mostly burnt to the ground, and everyone ran from dark shadows. Except Gaara, he laid on the ground where I just shot from. His lifeless body stared at the spot where I was on the ground, his hands broken and his leg snapped, sand covered the ground.

The feeling of panic shot through my veins like acid, hurting every inch of me. I stood there, shaking as I looked to the scene, my throat frozen along with my feet. That's when I saw more, Lee, burnt to the pole of the tent, melted and half a skeleton just standing there, tears hissed from his cheek in the heat of the fire. Temari was ripped apart behind him, Kankuro never to be seen.

Blood, there was blood and fire everywhere.

Tears finally spilled as a scream escaped my lips.

Blood all over my body, it dripped from my face down my cheeks and onto the ground, like raindrops next to Gaara's dead body. I screeched as it covered me, sticky and harsh, a thick iron smell in my nose, and on my tongue. I screamed louder, my throat in pain as I fell to my knees, the weight of the blood unbearable. Did I do this?

Their blood was all over me.

"I told you, fear would not be a good motivation."

My body froze as a frog limped to my sight. Correctly, a toad, one I knew very well. Fukasaku held onto the arm of another toad, what I assumed to be Shima. My body shook as he limped closer, his eyes almost rolled back. He fell forward in front of me as a darker blood dripped down my face.

His death, all of their deaths, were my fault.

"Fear…" I mumbled as I looked up to the scene before me.

"Fear is weaker than anger…" I hissed as my teeth gritted over dried blood in my mouth. I swallowed their blood down as I stood. Anger pumped through my body, a shadow now blocking the light of the fire from the tent in front of me.

"So you're going to be angry now, are you?" A dark voice growled.

"Yes!" I snapped as I lunged, my hands around the neck of the shadow. I fell through it, tumbling through the shadow to land in a puddle. A puddle, which turned into an ocean of blood, drowning me as I sunk further and further. My hands clawed to grab anything, but it was empty, except for a body that I could see clearly through the dark, blood filled ocean.

Jiraiya. He floated down, down into a darker depth that I could ever reach. I watched as his body disappeared. The anger, the fear long gone, dissipated as I felt completely out of emotions, drained of all happiness in my body, and all other emotions. The blood sank, my body finally floating up as the feeling of suffocation filled my body. My lungs ached but I couldn't breathe in more blood. I would drown. I gasped just as my head broke the surface, water suddenly in the place of dark blood.

I was in the middle of a small lake. There, just before me, was a dock with my mother on it, she smiled at me and shook her head.

"Get out of there, stupid. You'll get too tired to swim to shore!" She beckoned. But the more I swam towards her, the harder it was to tread water, the water to push through it. The closer I wanted to be, the further I actually became. "Are you swimming backwards, Baka! Get your silly white haired body back here."

I tried.

Nothing happened.

I never seemed to move.

And the dock floated away in the water.

I finally broke down.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH ME!"

I cried it out to the empty ocean I floated on.

"Not the right question."

I ripped around, and there floated Naruto.

"What should I ask… This is a dream, isn't it. Some horrible, disgusting dream." I looked to the blond hair, just as soaked with water as me.

"It's not me that wants something from you." Naruto nodded at me and pushed his headband up further on his wet forehead. "Wrong question."

I sighed, slapping my hands on the water in frustration.

"What… what do I want?" I growled. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"Better, much better question, but you know those answers." Naruto nudged his head towards my left. To my left was another dock, just out of reach, Gaara waving for me, the ninja war headband across his forehead.

"I want to help Gaara win the war." I whispered.

"Close enough. But we're looking for questions here." Naruto chuckled, slapping at the water. I looked to him.

"Okay… so I'm … I'm not sure what I should be asking!" I moaned. Only, Naruto put his finger to his nose as he smile to me.

"What? I went through all of that, that crap just to wonder why I'm not questioning myself?" I growled. "I hate psychology!" I slammed water towards Naruto.

"Exactly, so you've murdered people without questioning it, you've fallen in love; you've found your parents dead, found revenge for one… why aren't you questioning it. You always have." Naruto splashed back.

I furrowed my brow, my arms finally feeling tired from treading water.

"I don't know." I groaned.

"You should think on it." And with that, Naruto lunged and sunk me further into the water.

I gasped.

I woke up.

But, this time, it was for real.

~!~!~

Gaara stood at the front of a large group of Ninja, among them was Malli. His speech ended just seconds before, and she smiled right up to him, her face lit up. Then she cheered, she threw her arms up and screamed his name, not alone. Many cheered with her, calling out names of loved ones they would avenge. A smile breeched his lips lightly as he turned to walk off the stage. It was time to gear up.

I was time for war.

"Gaara!"

He hadn't noticed he was alone, or that he was walked back to his tent for a moment.

But Malli did.

She smiled at the red head, her hair glittered in the candle light.

"Malli." He breathed, as she closed the space between them.

"In case… Just in case I don't get the chance, to thank you." She grinned at him.

"I didn't do anything for the thanks." Gaara rolled his eyes but went rigid as she grasped his shoulder. Pulling herself closer to him, she placed her lips to his ear.

"You might start, if this is how I thank you more often." And before he could move, her lips were on his.

She pushed him against a pillar, her hands on his cheeks. The kiss blew up, it was like an explosion in his heart as she ran her fingers down his cheek to his neck, then up his hair line. He wanted to flip her, push her into the pole, devour her mouth. But she pulled away.

"I have to go to my rank… but, I… I needed to do that. To make sure it wasn't my question." She whispered, a blush raged across her face. Then she darted from the tent.

* * *

><p>Author's notes: Expect next chapter, warning gore and probably very dark chapter ahead. War!<p> 


	17. Bring me back to life!

**_Hair_ as white as _SNOW_!**

**A **Naruto fanfiction.

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine, but Malli Elliku and her thoughts are mine

* * *

><p>Chapter 17:<p>

I was aboard the ambush. I was to mark the ambush with my jutsu, I was to start and end it as fast as I could. If that was possible… I don't believe it is.

But I would do my best, or die trying.

I took a deep breath as I followed behind Kakashi as fast as I could. I couldn't help but notice his eyes on me every once and a while. I looked up at him, as we crouched by a tree, awaiting the last bit of the ambush to catch up.

"Are you okay?" He whispered through his mask.

I didn't know what to say. I'm second guessing myself because I should be doubting myself and feeling like a worthless no body that's family is dead. Dead because of me, or atleast, half of it was. I should be feeling bad, I should be feeling sorry, but I wasn't. How do you tell someone you just met, let alone your team leader that.

"Yeah, why do you ask?" I slipped around the tree to keep my eyes on the road ahead.

"Because your off your game?"

I cocked my brow and looked to him on the other side of the tree.

"How would you know?" I asked with a little sneer.

"I knew your father, very well… he wouldn't be this quiet." Kakashi stated blatantly.

I only looked back to the road. Well of course he wouldn't, my father never feared death. He went face to face with it daily, something I couldn't see myself doing before the last 3 weeks.

"I'm not him." I huffed as I turned to him. Only, as my face moved, a kunai landed against the tree, just barely a breath from my nose. Eyes wide and panic shooting through my veins like fire, I turned my head ever so slightly towards the thrower of the knife. Our ambush had been seen. The fear of war, that panic of not knowing, gone in the blink of an eye as I broke from the tree, I could hear voices shout after me. We had been spotted and I would be damned if the messenger got back to his commander to let them know where we were. The black cloaked man rushed from me, but I already had my kunai out and I bound from the ground, diving after him. I had him by the knee caps as the two of us came tumbling to the ground.

I didn't hesitate as I scrapped to my knees and pinned him to his stomach to the dirt beneath him. I ripped his hands behind his back and pressed my knees onto his shoulder blades, firmly holding his arms down and his chest buried in the dirt.

They were coming up to me, but I didn't stop as my fingers drove into the hair of the person before me. I ripped his head to the side, watching the pain in his face as I looked to him. There, in his mouth, I saw it. A pill beneath his teeth. "NO!" I hissed as I went to snatch it. But as I had ahold of the pill, his teeth chomped down on it. Blood from my fingertips as he bit on my fingers, but the pill was already in effect. Foam bubbled out of his mouth and I sat there in panic as my blood dirtied the pure white foam in his mouth.

"A scout, we should hurry before they second scout finds us." Kakashi's words ran in my bones, carving into my soul as I turned up to him.

"He killed himself…"I whispered. "Why would he do that! I wouldn't have… I wasn't going to kill him!" I hissed.

"Doesn't matter, they are trained from the beginning, either win or die before they can capture you." It had been the first time I felt pity for an opponent that lay dead at my feet. I stared at the body that slowly grew cold under me, the colors of life left his cheeks. I slowly moved to my feet and stood up from my spot on the body. Kakashi was right; it was time we moved on.

~!~!~

There was so much blood! Muscles strung out like party string over trees and rocks, organs smashed beneath shoes, bones shrapnel against my skin as I dove my Kunai deeper into the throat of the ninja before me. On his knees, I drove my kunai down, not even pulling it out. I ripped it out, welcoming a new coat of blood on my skin as it sprayed up like a sprinkler on high. It was warm and the musk of iron around me nearly shook me. It was thick around me as I stood there panting, the taste of blood coated my tongue. His limp body fell to the ground, my kunai faltering and falling to the ground with a sickening squishing sound. My eyes took sight of the heart, no longer beating, at my feet.

I had ripped it out of someone's chest. I actually drove my fist through someone's chest cavity and ripped out their heart. The feel was that of a jelly fish, squished in my fingers as I clamped onto it like a hand I was holding. My finger tips had bruised the organ to left it mangled there beside me. Kunai, dark and sticky, lay lifeless against the once life filled organ.

My lips were cracked but I didn't dare lick them in fear of tasting blood.

"Malli." I turned to the voice and found Kakashi there, covered in dirt. He hesistated approaching me, but I didn't blame him. I had been like a wild animal. Most of the mutilated bodies in the valley were of my doing. My chakra was like a bomb that set off, blowing most of them back. Unlike my father, my chakra was a device all on its own. I didn't summon anyone, I just hacked them down like they were trees. I was a monster.

"I feel like I murdered millions of innocents." I whimpered as I looked to Naruto's Sensei. Fresh hot tears stung my cut cheeks, my salty tears washing just a few layers of grim and blood from my skin.

"We should get you home." Kakashi whispered. "You need sleep."

But it wasn't sleep that I craved for. At the moment, there was a darkness swirling in my belly as I looked at all the blood and body around me. Disgust filled me until we walked away from the bodies. The digust slowly turned into something worst, and I fell to my knees. I could still feel the feeling of the heart beating on my hand, I could still feel the crunch of someone's arm broken in my grasp. The feel of blood covering me, I could feel it.

Most of the travel back, I spent with a warm, wet towel pressed to my flesh in attempt to wash it all off. Everyone avoided me, even Kakashi held back as I trucked back towards the base camp. Once there, no one came near me. I only ducked back into my tent and nearly burst into tears as I turned on the shower we used. There was a small hole in the soft ground for all the water to flow down and filter out, I used my chakra to boil the water till it was almost flesh melting before I stripped down of my clothes. I could see myself in the small mirror on the table next to the shower. My once beautiful white hair, hair as white as snow, was now hair and rusty as a burnt body.

I was halfway into the shower, testing the heat of the water, when someone entered my tent. I turned my head back to capture sight of Gaara in the doorway of my shower. He looked to be battling something, but I didn't cover up. I didn't even shy away from his eyes as he trailed my soaked body. The water had already begun to wash away some of the grim.

"They said you were back."

"From the massacre." I answered back, even though it wasn't a question.

"It is war, death will happen." Gaara breathed, taking steps towards me. I watched him wearily, but let him close the distance between us.

"I never wanted to be a murderer. Just a ninja." I spoke, my lips cracking with the words as I slid into the shower stream more. I watched as Gaara's hands went to his clothing. I didn't stop him. I could see a dark swirl in his eyes, much like the one I had. It was carnal and it was disgusting, but I didn't say no. I just wanted someone to hold me, I just wanted to cry and scream and beat trees until I couldn't think any more. Until I couldn't feel the blood sticking to the back of my neck.

Before another word was spoken, he was in the shower, behind me in the shower stream. I held still as his arms slid around my waist and pulled me close. I was drowning in the shower, but I kept my eyes shut as the water washed away the grim and blood that caked my flesh.

"You're not a murderer, you're nothing but a beautiful…" I snapped my eyes open and turned to Gaara. I watched his hair stuck to his face, water trailing down every line on his face. His hair matted around the word carved into his forehead, into his flesh. "Woman." He finished.

"I don't feel beautiful." I croaked. His eyes went to my hair. He ran his hand over it, focusing some of the water through it. I felt the blood slowly seep from my locks. Soap was in his hand without my knowledge and the sting of the shampoo brought more reality down on my already sunken heart.

I was questioning my sanity. I was questioning my beauty. I wasn't afraid, which made me scared, because what if I was loosing my soul to this war?

My hair felt lighter as the soap slid from my hair and white locks were laying limp against my cheeks. That's when Gaara closed in all of the distance between us. My lips felt on fire as he mashed his up against mine. I should feel dirty, his affection on me after I just murdered hundreds of ninjas. But I only felt my hands grab onto his shoulders and shove my flesh up against his. I felt clean again, I felt fresh as his skin slapped against mine. He broke the kiss only to continue them across my face and neck. Every cut and scrape, he placed a kiss before his tongue traced the cut, as if licking up the last lingering blood on my body. He continued this down to my neck, where my back arched into him, my knees feeling weak. I knew where this was going.

He said he felt like an animal, unable to keep from devouring me. His demon still there in residence in his soul, despite it not being in his body. His old need for blood was still there. His kisses trailed to my collar bone where my last cut was, and he kissed it even lighter.

Only, my thoughts that his kissed would end there, didn't end there. A deep growl in his body wrecked his spine as I clutched to him, air suddenly a thing unable to hold in my lungs. I gasped as he trailed kissed further down. His kissed down on my chest, down till he on my breast. My finger nails dug into his shoulders as he took in my nipples, light kisses and sucks, until his teeth lightly scraped upon them and I couldn't help but let out a whimper.

That's when Gaara dropped to his knees, pressing my back up against a firm pole of wood and his kisses turned into nips. They trailed down my stomach till his nips were at my thigh. This is where he sucked on my flesh, a bruise quickly forming. His hands ran down my back, his nails digging into my skin and I could feel blood being drawn as he grew closer to my center.

"Gaara." I gasped one last time, which brought him to his feet. His hands shoved me harder into the pole, trailing his lightly, blood covered nails across my front. There were gentle bruised down my stomach, but the biggest one was on my inner thigh. I could feel a swirling in my abdomen as his hands raked his short nails down to my thighs.

I didn't stop him, I didn't want him to stop. I couldn't think in the haze of arousal, and my stomach felt free of guilt of the moment as his eyes devoured mine. The sweet Gaara was still there, I could see it in how his eyes softened towards me. But they were hungry.

If I had told him to stop, he would have. He would have apologized and run off. But I didn't. I buried my fingers in his hair and shoved his lips back against mine. A growl emitted his throat as he pressed us into the beam. His need for me and my flesh was present against my thighs. His hands went to my thighs, pushing them apart. A firm palm between my thighs, he shoved me up the beam until my legs were wrapped around him. Finding little space between us, I felt his hand moving between me and him, but only finding he was grabbing himself and putting his tip against my entrance.

"Please." His voice woke me up as I pulled back from the kiss. His eyes were clouded, but I could see the pleading child behind him. "Tell me to take you. I need you to say this."

I took a deep breath, a greedy gulp of air as I looked to him. "Gaara, please, take me." I gasped as before I even had a chance to see his eyes in their acceptance, there was a hard pressure shoved inside me. I cried out, my head thrown back. Gaara's lips were on my throat, nipping and kissing his bites better as he continued to push hard in and out. He didn't wait for me to adjust, he just pressed up against me and kissed my neck. It only took a moment, what had been a sharp pain from my not being ready to a dark need for him to never stop, I wrapped my legs around him more. "More." I groaned and felt the gasp on his lips as he pushed in harder. The grating of the pole against my back sent sensations in my abdomen, and what should have felt like punishment, felt like bliss.

For what Gaara lacked in the ability to ease into it, he made up in pleasuring me. His nips turned to soft kissed that trailed down to my breasts, his hands now softly on the backs of my thighs, massaging up and down from the backs of my knees up my spine. His right hand moved between us, his fingers playing with my clit that I almost forgotten I had, sending me over board. I couldn't breath, I couldn't think as he buried himself in me. The steam of the shower choked me.

"Hold onto me." He whispered against my ear lobe, his breath hot and shattered like he couldn't finish breathing. I wrapped my arms around him and suddenly, there was sand. The water was gone and the beam was replaced with a mattress. I lay there, back against the comforter, my legs wrapped around his waist. Gaara detached my hands from behind his neck and gently stretched them above my head. I didn't fight as sand wound them to the head board like rope. His lips were on mine as he continued his pace.

It felt like hours, his hips meeting mine as his kissed ran down from my face to my chest, back up again. Whenever he would work up a faster pace, his lips would be on mine. He was stealing my air and I couldn't help the pleasure it gave me to take in his scent.

After what seemed an enternity, I felt him tighten. My orgasm had come and gone many times, and the soft look on his face returned. "Do you want me to finish." He breathed, his lips barely against mine.

"Of course I do." I gasped as his right hand trailed up my side.

"Inside of you." He asked. I couldn't help the look of confusion as he slowed down his pace. I could feel it, he was going to pull out and never finish.

"No!" I cried out of my dry throat. "Stay."

That's all I had to say, because then his hands went to my hips and put pressure on them, almost smacking our hip bones together. "This may be a little rough." He growled as his lips returned to mine. I didn't let it slip that as he grew hasty, his pace grew fast and hard, his breaths labored, his fingers buried in my hips, I didn't let it slip that it brought on my very own orgasm. A harder one that shook me and trembled my body, only forcing his lips from mine as he let out a grunt, then a cry out. I squeezed and caved around him as he slammed into me the hardest he ever had. It felt like my pelvic bone would break, but I could feel it. Like hot water shooting up inside me, like a shot of medicine without the sting of the needle. He collapsed.

He pulled from me in enough energy to release me and roll to my side. His soft face returning as he looked up to me.

"Was that because I was covered in blood?" I choked, as tears threatened to spill. My lack of self-worth kicking back in now that we both reached our climax. I worried he only did that, he only took me because it was his need for the taste of blood. But the smile on his lips, small and gentle as he pressed a kiss to my forehead this time.

"No, it's because you came back safe, and the first thing I saw when I rushed to see you… was your naked body." He whispered, his voice soft and gruff, like stones against the bottom of a river.

"So you wanted me… not…" I saw his eyes take in my face as a hand ran across my stomach, running connections of his bites and kisses with his gentle fingers.

"I've wanted you since the night you came into my tent. I just… stopped myself ever since then." He breathed. A choking smile on my face I buried my face in the crook of his neck and took in a deep breath. "Besides, I wanted to see your face lighten, you looked so dark in that shower alone." Was the last thing I heard as I, too, collapsed.

* * *

><p>Author's notes:<p>

There it is! I finally got this updated, don't hate me! Sorry for the long time to update,


	18. The morning after!

**_Hair_ as white as _SNOW_!**

**A **Naruto fanfiction.

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine, but Malli Elliku and her thoughts are mine

* * *

><p>Chapter 18:<p>

I should have expected the wake up call I received, but I didn't I still shot forward in panic as I heard a breath beside my ear. I whipped to my side in my panic and came to face with a groggy Gaara, his face contorted in confusion. The sun light was trickling inside the tent from the front and I was barely able to blink away my sleep when his mouth was on mine. I should have told him no, one morning breath, two, I could barely breathe, he would surely kill me. But it was soft and affectionate, and as soon as it was there, it was gone. Gaara was up in a mess of limbs and blankets, he clambered up off the bed and stood up. Like a cat stretching after a nap, his arms and limbs went taunt before me.

Beautiful, he was absolutely beautiful as I laid there, my eyes taking in every inch of him. He turned, still bare to the world and that soft smile was on his lips. Always soft, very subtle, but brilliant. I could always see it, against the blood and gore of the war, I could see it. A soft smile on his lips, and he walked back towards me.

"You should get ready." He whispered softly, pressing another kiss to my lips. This one lingered and I was able to wrap my arms around his neck.

Only, just as he was slipping back down on the bed, and my hands were in his hair, the blankets the only thing between us, the tent flap opened and the two of us whipped our heads to the pair that entered. You've got to be kidding me!

"GAARA!"

"Temari." He greeted, looking with a dismal smile, turning back to me. "We'll finish that later." He whispered just for me, a swift kiss to my forehead before he was gone again. He was agile, not as cat like as Lee, but he was able to escape my need for his embrace.

"MALLI!"

"Kankuro… WHY!" I groaned, throwing my hands to my face. My fingers dug into my scalp as the palm of my hands covered my eyes.

"Because we needed him… but good to know you got your fill." I rolled my eyes as my hands fell from my face and I turned my head to him. I had a smart remark, I really did, but I held them as Gaara entered the room once more in clean clothes. He set some down beside me, a soft graze of his fingers against my arm as he continued to walk straight out and past the two of them. They followed without question, mostly because of the look Gaara gave them.

The moment I was free of any onlookers, a girlish squeal entered my lungs. I don't know what possessed me, but I was bouncing and dancing and running in place as I rushed to pull on my clothing. I barely remember brushing my hair as I darted from my tent. I spent the night with Gaara! I SPENT THE NIGHT WITH GAARA!

He didn't hurt me, and I had never felt so loved and wanted. It was the subtle kisses, his promise that he wanted me for me, the promise of a second time, the promise of more kisses. Glee, I guess is the only word that filled me as I skipped and hopped and ran, a sort of weird mixture of the three, towards Lee. He knew I was in a good mood because he had to catch me to keep me from bounding over him and continuing my freakish movement further down the road.

"Well rested I presume?" He teased, "What a youthful glow you have! Perfect! We'll use it for a morning run!"

No need to tell me twice.

"LAST ONE TO DEAD MAN'S PEAK IS A ROTTEN EGG." I was gone, and for once, I think I won on pure happiness… because Lee never lets me win unless I actually win.

~!~!~

"So…how does it feel?" Kankuro asked, maps and papers strewn everywhere. Medical ninja were in and out of the camp, more raids and rampages were happening every moment of the day. Gaara had been busy since the morning and didn't regret one single moment. He liked to think he save a life or two that day, and so much was done. He was motivated.

"What?" he finally woke up to his brother's question.

"How does it feel to know you won't kill your girlfriend?" Kankuro teased as he nudged his brother's shoulder. Gaara shook his head with a sigh. Kankuro had a way of not being gentle with any concept. But that night… Gaara let his face soften as he saw Malli in the back of his mind, the way she smiled as she slept, the way she squirmed when his hand would run across her skin or up to her chest. Just to feel her heart against his fingertips, it comforted him so. It was the best sleep he had his entire life. Because he fed his need. He felt like he completely let go with Malli, or atleast, mostly, and she was not only alive, but from what was seen, she was beyond happy. He'd never seen her smile so widely.

"Like I can breathe again." He whispered, looking to his brother. "No relief has ever felt this great. I… I didn't kill her…" Gaara breathed, his lips turned up in a slight smile.

"See! I told you a good romp was all you needed!" The was the loud sound of a smack, as Gaara's hand reached up and smacked across the back of his head.

"That's not what that was…It was…" Gaara shook his head, trailing off. Kankuro was under the ideology that sex was a relieving stress sort of relief. But it wasn't sex to Gaara.

It was love .

It was physical love.

And he enjoyed every second, and even better, so did Malli.

His lips curled more as he looked out the tent to where Malli and lee were doing crunches. She looked up and met his eyes and smiled even more, then turned back to focus. Maybe she was all the hope he needed… that this war would end with life.

That love would survive the blood bath.

But that hope was crushed when a large ninja came barreling into the tent and the last thing Gaara saw was Malli disappearing into a black smoke cloud.

* * *

><p>Author's notes: I... I've got nothing for why this took so long. But anyway! LOVELIES! HERE IT IS! Sorry it's so short, promise to work on the next one soon. With love!<p> 


	19. Girl got hot!

**_Hair_ as white as _SNOW_!**

**A **Naruto fanfiction.

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine, but Malli Elliku and her thoughts are mine

* * *

><p>Chapter 19: Girl got hot!<p>

There was black smoke everywhere, no bodies, just smoke and dark ground that tickled inbetween my fingers. I tried not to squirm as I laid on my stomach, my eyes strained to see what all was going on. There had been a raid, an ambitious raid on our camp. A rhino of a ninja barreled into the camp and all the lights went out like a large cloud of smog. Lee and I were separated and I was blown back. It felt like a bomb had landed right at my feet. So this is what it was like to be hit by my jutsu. I sighed softly as I rolled down into the ditch, able to breathe easier now that the smog was clearing up and out of my range of breath. It wasn't panic that I felt, it was irritation. That something this dumb would have happened. I growled in anger as I looked up from my place in the ditch to see a tree line.

Fuck!

I'm no where near the camp. I crawled and walked the wrong way.

Where the fuck am I?

I'm not even good with maps, now lost in a black smoke, I'd never find my way home.

Okay... plan B.

I pulled up onto my knees and clamped my hands together. I bit my thumb and slapped my hands to the floor.

The tug of summoning would never get easier and my whole body felt on fire as I was shot up from the ground and up into the air. My fingers clumsily searched for something to hold onto as slim slid me down and around. I felt arm muscles reach around and snatch me. The smog was clear, the air clean and I finally received a good view of my surroundings.

"Yeah... no where near the camp. Fuck!" I hissed. Only to feel a large brush of air as I turned on the hand of which I stood on. Only then did I realize the color. It wasn't my usual friend Kisomo, the green and black toad. No, this one was a deep orange, red swirls and white. A pipe inside his lips, my lungs stopped and I had to take a step back to look up at him. Well...

"Who... Are... You?" The toad breathed against the pipe, smoke lightly dancing across the rim and licking my cheeks as it came my way. I coughed to get it from my face and swatted at it to go away.

"My name is Malli Elliku!" I barked through the smoke. As I breathed in, did I see the look of horror register on the toads face and I came to terms with whom I had brought out. The symbol on his head, the jacket he wore, the pipe. I had seen him before, my father atop his forehead. My heart sank as I looked to the toad, tears fresh in my eyes.

"Jiraiya's daughter..." His voice was hoarse as I saw the emotions pan across his face, tears registering in his eyelids but never spilling over. I nodded, my whole body numb.

"You must be Gamabunta." I whispered, slipping to my knees as I placed my own palm on his. He slipped down onto the ground and allowed me to get down. I slipped down onto the forest floor and looked up to the large, darkly colored toad.

"Bunta, it's all I'll ever answer to." I smiled to him softly. "My... how you have gotten big." I furrowed my brows at him as he sighed. "What do you know about your birth, your youth up until you were two?" I shook my head and he nodded.

"You were born in the Leaf village. Jiraiya had come home from a mission to his girlfriend who met him up in town. She was pregnant, she was atleast a month along. When he came back, he celebrated. He knelt down, was ready to marry that girl. But she said she didn't want to marry him, she had loved him but they weren't going to be a good couple. He would never settle and she didn't want to make him. So she made him promise her that he would be in the child's life. I've never seen the man more excited. He vowed to do everything as the father. You were born and he took you everywhere. To meetings, he read to you while you were sleeping, he even wrapped you up in blankets and made me run around that stupid forest till you were knocked out cold. Jiraiya was always a ladies man, never with one lady more than a week or so. But you... you were his main girl. The first year you were here, he did everything in his power to never see you cry. When you were one and had white hair growing, he looked so proud.

He took you out one night, drinking with the guys while your mother was resting. You had a bottle and were bouncing in his lap, the guys were laughing and joking. When Orochimaru came in, saw you and looked to Jiraiya. Said you were going to be trouble one day, but your dad put you in his hands and asked 'does she look like trouble to you?' and it's the only day in the entire world where it was said Orochimaru looked human. He looked like he was happy. You smiled up at him and rattled your bottle and the devil looked human. Well... when you were two, a man came to two, a man after your father. Found you and nearly killed your mother in the process. Knew that parading you around would be bad for your health, so he went to put you under protection with the country. Your mother told him no, that she would take you away from everything and no one would know anything, not even you. But Jiraiya was always there." My eyes watered as I sat down on the ground and folded my hands in my lap.

It was like the world was spinning.

"So he's always known?" I choked.

"Once when you were 6, we heard a local gang of bullies had cut into you and he was about ready to wage war. But when he got there and saw you asleep in the hospital, I saw a full grown man weep harder than any person combined. He sat by you all night, but left before you awoke. Malli... he not only knew about you, but he was always there, in the background, keeping an eye on you. He was so proud you didn't give up."

My heart stopped as I looked up to the gruff frog.

"And I'm not giving up now, not ever..." I whispered as his toad lips curled in a smirk.

"You have a plan for me, baby girl?" His voice was like rough rocks rubbing against tree bark, and it felt so good.

"Oh! I've got a few ninjas of which I owe a giant toad sword in the face of." I jabbed my thumb in the direction of the smog and he stood up full. His hand was out and I clambered up. Allowing him to push me onto his head and he turned towards the thickest smog.

"That's my girl."

~!~!~

Gaara slammed his hand down, a wall of sand filtered through the air so that they could breathe. The storage room where they were left at had little air room as it was. Temari curled her nose and twitched, fan in hand and ready stance. Kankuro already had ANT out, ready for the oncoming attack.

"Don't do this..." Gaara spoke softly to the few ninjas down the room from them. They cracked their knuckles and chuckled at him.

"Gaara, you can't save the stupid." Temari reminded and Gaara didn't have to be told twice.

"Back Manuever." And they were off.

Temari was launched as high up in the ceiling as she could, her wind slicing in front of them, the wall shattering behind the men and the men who had been behind it were knocked over. Kankuro bolted, his puppet in full action as he flipped and used his chakra to walk along the ceiling. Gaara supplied a launch pad of sand for Temari as his sand swirled around, deflecting kunai, and sending them back at twice the momentum.

"Where did they come from?" Temari hissed as she tumbled down gracefully and landed beside her brother. Sand swirled protective around them as Kankuro blew up another wall and they went down the hall that way.

"They're getting more and more confident. This war won't end easily if they're willing to raid the main base camp. How did they even find us!" Kankuro answered with slight concern.

"We have a rat." Gaara snarled as he whipped around the corner and saw a ninja ready to attack. Sand was around his throat and the ninja fell to the ground. "But it's not one of ours. I have a feeling, it's a rat wearing someone elses uniform and skin. Hurry, this way." Gaara motioned and the three turned.

There was a long stretched down and up a hallway, up a flight of stairs and out into the open. The underground storage shack was a good four miles from the camp.

They would have to be quick to get back to the base camp. Fire was lighting up the sky and the black smog that they used to gas out the camp was only getting worse with the fires set to the tents. When this was over, Gaara would up the security and checks to keep rats out of their camp... plus they would have to get a whole new location.

Gaara cracked his neck, stretching out his arms to prepare for the oncoming battle, when he saw it.

"I'll be damned..." Temari whispered as Gaara rolled his eyes but felt the smile on his lips.

There, clearing up the smoke and smog, was a giant toad. Orange and red, Gaara knew that toad. The same toad that Naruto road against him in the Chunnin exams. Naruto and that toad were always side by side.

But atop this toad, was a bush of white hair and a wild scream they could hear from miles away.

"I swear to god, if she gets all the fucking credit for this fight, I'm going to lose my shit!" Kankuro snapped as he bolted back towards the camp. Temari chuckled but followed the boy and Gaara looked down to the storage shed they had been blown into by the bomb.

Leave it to Malli to make an entrance like that.

With a whirl of sand, Gaara was back in the camp, hand to hand with another ninja, his sand instantly around the man's neck.

"SO NICE OF YOU TO JOIN US, KAZEKAGE-SAMA!"

* * *

><p>Author's Note: ANNNNNDDDD! HERE IT IS!<p> 


	20. Hideaway!

**_Hair_ as white as _SNOW_!**

**A **Naruto fanfiction.

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine, but Malli Elliku and her thoughts are mine

* * *

><p>Chapter 20: Hideaway<p>

"YOU LIGHT STEALING KUNOICHI!" I cackled as I felt a burst of chakra smash a ninja into a large pole that was aflame. Kankuro rolled from behind me and before I could move onto the next, the pole was snapped and the man ripped to shreds by ANT. I rolled my eyes at Kankuro before turning to their next victim. He was gone in the smoke and I let out a gust of chakra, watching the clouds of smoke and smog disappear. There he was, Rhino ninja.

"You're a big one." I grumbled, steading my stance as I let my shoulders roll back. The crack in my neck was just what I needed as I faced the man face on. His right foot ground into the dark ground covered in ash. Like a bullet, he lunged at me head first and I spun out of his way. My feet pivoted and kept me steady as I danced away from the large bodied ninja. He honestly looked like a human balloon that had been pumped up with too much air. Like if I poked him even in the slightest with a kunai, he would spin away into the sunset, a cartoonish fart sound following him till he collapsed on the ground, 2D and deflated.

"STOP!" The Rhino snarled, but I kept my nerve and evaded his attacks till I saw a weak spot. No need to give him leverage over me. I wanted that exact moment, that I was storing up a bullet of me own chakra. He had a tough skin, his muscles were taunt, it would take a precise shot, harsh, fast, and right at the perfect spot. My feet light, I spun like a graceful ballerina away from him, my feet nearly never touching the ground.

"HOLD! STILL!" His teeth made an audible grinding sound as he rushed after me again. This time, I planted my palm on his shoulder, pushing myself up and over him, my fingers tracing his spine. He shuttered when my fingers touched the base of his spine and I knew I had him. He whipped around like a tank pulling a u-turn, and launched himself at me again.

"HIS SPINE!" I called out to Kankuro. "Get me a shot!" I snapped, twirling out of his attack and planting a firm kick upwards into the man's throat. His feet stumbled and his fingers grasped for his throat, the sound of wheezing filling my ears as I spun behind him. Chakra shot down in string shots and held the man down.

One breath in…

The sound rang out as it rushed out of my heart and straight into his lower back. The sound of his spine shattering was all I could swallow as my knees fell and me hands took a hard blow of the ash covered ground.

Kankuro panted as he slid beside me and collapsed beside me just as winded. I closed my eyes and groaned lightly. I felt like I had used every single ounce of energy in me body. The clouds were slowly parting, and I looked up as Bunta hopped up to me. His hand outstretched to me, I clambered up into his clammy limbs and allowed him to place me on his head.

"Are they all taken care of?" I asked against his forehead, inhaling slowly. Rolling onto my back, opening my arms as if to open me lungs all the way, I opened my mouth wide, inhaling clean air above the smoke.

"Gone. Kazekage Gaara and his crew took care of the stragglers. Kakashi is taking on a small group south, if you wish to aid him?" Bunta asked with a rocky chuckle. I rolled my eyes but looked down to Kankuro leaned against Bunta's thigh. He looked about ready to fall over. If I was to help Kakashi, it would have to be on my own. I slipped up onto my knees.

"First, take Kankuro to a medic, then we'll see about Kakashi. Can't let him have all the fun." I spoke as Bunta chuckled and with a powerful thrust, we were up in the air. A huge rise in the air, a slow decent, then back up in the air. This was what Gaara felt to be up in the air. My arms extended subconsciously, and my hair blew back from my face. I could see wisps of white the flew around my face and a giant grin grew on my face.

It was freedom.

I opened my eyes and saw the sunlight before me and it was setting, but it was like an instant buzz of energy. I could take on the world again, just being able to see above the clouds.

"Bunta! Is it always this beautiful!" I called out over the roar of air pushing past us.

"Sometimes more than others." He laughed as we rose higher into the sky line and my hands reached for the clouds. My body felt weightless as we descended and I saw the golden glimmer of the sun. "Your father used to do the same, Giant goof."

My grin widened as I looked out towards the setting sun. Slipping to my feet, I steadied myself with a little Chakra in my toes as I stretched my hands up. I could feel the air blow between my fingers as I inhaled and closed my eyes. The feel of arms around me, I leaned into them instinctively and could feel their warmth. Like large arms covered in cloth, arms held me close. I opened my eyes and there he was. Whispy, strong, grinning, wild white hair with that crazy look in his eyes. A ghost of a man held me close with one arm and pointed out at the sunset with the other.

Suddenly I was wrapped up in a warm green blanket, I was so small. A child, barely had any hair, eyes wide and full of wonder as he held me to his chest and yammered on about the sunset. The places beyond the sunset.

My heart shuttered and inflated, I felt water like I was drowning in my lungs, but I couldn't stop as I looked up to this man.

"Your father would be proud of you, Malli." I blinked and turned back to the sunset and let my arms spread out.

"Yeah, he would, wouldn't he." I whispered, air filling my lungs as we practically flew towards the sunset. I turned my head, but the ghost of my father was gone. His embrace still leaving an impression on my torso. A giant smile on my face I leaned over Bunta and looked down towards our new destination. He was right, Kakashi was up against a few others. More like a mass of ninjas, coming at him from all sides. I patted Bunta on the head. "Take Kankuro to the Medic Ninja!"

With that, I leapt off his forehead and let the air flow past me as I free fell towards Kakashi. I opened out my arms and enjoyed the fall. My stomach in my throat as I slowly closed my arms around me and sped up. Fired from the clouds above, I found my destination in clear view in front of me.

A burst of chakra hit the ground before I coasted towards Kakashi. He stood still as the wind whipped those around me into the tree line. Kunai in hand, I turned to Kakashi who grinned from underneath his exposed mask.

"Is that what you're hiding under there?" I teased with a smile.

"There he is." I furrowed my brows before he laughed. "There's the Jiraiya I knew."

With a pivot of my feet, I whipped around and slammed my fist right into the throat of an encroaching man and shot chakra right out of my knuckles. Chakra as firm as ice slid through my skin and out into his throat. A gasp broke my lips as I fell to the ground, blood covering my hand as the man crumpled before me.

"Malli!" I put up a hand to Kakashi, my knees trembling, but forcing my legs up and back into my stance.

"Ignore it, I'll be fine… them first."

"And there he is again." I didn't comment as I turned to the next Ninja and pulled myself back into the stance, my blood dripping down in thick drops to the ground. He rushed at my but as I pivoted, turning my hand, my Chakra slid out again. Like a giant blade covered in my blood, my chakra curved, a giant syche of my blood and Chaka clipped the man's neck. His head slid clean off the edge of my Chakra. It shattered like glass and my energy plummeted. How could I have been so stupid as to think my energy would be recharged by just a shimmer of sunshine.

Next battle, I would keep this in mind.

"What is that?" Kakashi called over a man he slammed through a tree and onto the ground.

"When my energy and Chakra is low, it takes on a more physical form. More dangerous to both myself and my enemy." I hissed, covering my hand that was nearly draining of all blood.

"Then stop, go see a medic!" Kakashi snapped.

"NOT UNTIL THEY'RE DEALT WITH!" I shouted back and without hesitation, I jumped at the third Ninja, ripping him off the tree. He had pissed himself, I could smell the urine on him, and I could smell the fear. But I didn't stop. I smashed my fist into his face, then next, his throat. The cracking sound of trees came from his body as I didn't stop smashing my bleeding fist into his corpse.

A hand snatched at me, but a wild noise came from my throat and I took the man down in a single leap.

It was the hospital episode all over again. Those bullies, those animals who attacked my mother. This was what happened to them. Except I blacked out then. Here… Here I remembered every inch of the ninja's face as I smashed my hand, chakra shaped like a knife covering all my finger tips, straight through his chest cavity and into his heart. The warm, gooey feeling of his blood covering my own as I twisted my hand in his chest and pulled it out, He was dead before I even let him fall to the ground.

Horror.

It covered my face as I looked up to Kakashi. His face screamed the same emotions that covered mine. I had no control.

If he tried to stop me, I may turn on him.

Is this what I've become? A killing demon? Have I lost myself to my power in situations like this. He stood firm and his eyes narrowed on mine. Before I knew it, I was falling into a darkness.

But this darkness wasn't a black out.

This was sleep.

~!~!~

"How is she?" Gaara whispered, slipping into the bed, pulling Malli's head into his lap. Her breathing was normal, her face was twisted though, in a nightmare. But he couldn't wake her, no matter how much he kissed her forehead or ran his hand down the sides of her arms. She was in a coma like state, her body moved when pushed, but other than that, she was limp. Paralytic.

"She was far too gone to battle all those foes. She had damaged her body before even coming to see me. She exerted herself too far… she's going to stay asleep until she's fully recharged, or until she can survive life." Kakashi confessed, his arms crossed over his chest. "Just like her father." Gaara smiled as he ran his face lovingly down her cheek and into her wild mess of white hair.

"I never get used to it." Gaara spoke, his voice hoarse and tired.

"Seeing her like this. When we love those who fight till their last breath, you see it often, but you never get used to it." Kakashi added, stepping up to the red head. Patting him on the arm before turning on his heel and marching towards the exit of the building they were in. They had returned to Konaha for the week. To rebuild, to recharge, to heal. Gaara had been given this entire building, and the top floor was one huge bedroom.

Pulling himself back up off the bed gracefully, he pulled his gourd off his back, his sandals off, and stripped down to just a pair of shorts. Climbing into bed, he pulled the limp Malli into his arms and ran his fingers through her hair affectionately.

Only, her body reacted to it, and a light murmur of pleasure broke her lips. He pressed a kiss to the back of her shoulder blade, then to her arms. Like a shot of air, Malli gasped for breath and whipped around. Gaara let her pin him to the bed, her eyes aflame. Only, when recognition set into her eyes, she saw him for who he was. Her hands softened, her face softened and she leaned into him. Gaara rolled her so she was on her side and pulled her close. Her lips fit just right against his, her breath stealing his as he clamped down on her harder. His fingers dug into her as he pulled her closer. As if he never wanted to know the pain of not having her. Malli let him devour her mouth almost as his kiss became erratic, almost desperate in his need.

"Why do you always have to scare me," Gaara hissed lightly, kissing her forehead as she yawned.

"Thank you… for being here." She grinned to him tiredly. Gaara sighed and loosened his grip, closing his eyes and laying his forehead against hers.

"I didn't do it for the thanks…" He mumbled back.

"Then… why?" Her body was slowly slipping back into the coma state it was in.

"Because I'm…" But before he could finish, she was breathing heavy and her whole body gone limp again. She was asleep. Gaara looked over her face and ran his hand over her cheek. "Obsessed with you."


End file.
